Swiss police open criminal case against FIFA’s Sepp Blatter

ZURICH — FIFA President Sepp Blatter was interrogated by Swiss federal police on Friday and faces criminal charges over alleged financial corruption.

Switzerland’s attorney general’s office said Friday it opened criminal proceedings against Blatter for possible criminal mismanagement and misappropriation of FIFA money.

The Swiss federal prosecutor’s office also said Blatter’s office was searched and data was seized.

FIFA vice-president Michel Platini was also questioned as a witness over a “disloyal payment” of 2 million Swiss francs he received from Blatter in February 2011, Swiss authorities say. Under Swiss law, a payment is classified disloyal if it is against the best interest of the employer — in this case FIFA.

Platini, who is the favourite to succeed the outgoing Blatter as FIFA president next February, was a personal adviser to his former mentor when he started out in football politics.

The payment by Blatter from FIFA funds was “allegedly made for work performed between January 1999 and June 2002,” the attorney general’s office said.

Blatter was interrogated after chairing a meeting of FIFA’s executive committee.

The 79-year-old Swiss had been set to hold a news conference for international media after the meeting, but it was first postponed and then suddenly cancelled.

Blatter is the first person to be formally quizzed as a suspect in the Swiss case, which FIFA instigated last November when it complained about possible money laundering in the 2018-2022 World Cup bidding contests won by Russia and Qatar.

The allegations Friday also relate to World Cup broadcasting contracts Blatter agreed to with disgraced former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner in 2005.

“There is as suspicion that, in the implementation of this agreement, Joseph Blatter also violated his fiduciary duties and acted against the interest of FIFA,” the Swiss federal office said.

The following is a statement provided by the Swiss Attorney General on the opening of criminal proceedings against FIFA President Sepp Blatter:

The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) has opened criminal proceedings against the President of Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) on suspicion of criminal mismanagement as well as — alternatively — on suspicion of misappropriation.

Swiss criminal proceedings against the President of FIFA, Mr. Joseph Blatter, have been opened on 24 September 2015 on suspicion of criminal mismanagement (Article 158 Swiss Criminal Code / SCC) and — alternatively — misappropriation (Article 138 Swiss Criminal Code / SCC).

On the one hand, the OAG suspects that on 12 September 2005 Mr. Joseph Blatter has signed a contract with the Caribbean Football Union (with Jack Warner as the President at this time); this contract was unfavourable for FIFA. On the other hand, there is a suspicion that, in the implementation of this agreement, Joseph Blatter also violated his fiduciary duties and acted against the interest of FIFA and/or FIFA Marketing & TV AG.

Additionally, Mr. Joseph Blatter is suspected of a disloyal payment of CHF (Swiss francs) 2 Million to Michel Platini, President of Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), at the expense of FIFA, which was allegedly made for work performed between January 1999 and June 2002; this payment was executed in February 2011.

On 25 September 2015, representatives of the OAG interrogated the defendant Joseph Blatter following a meeting of the FIFA Executive Committee. At the same time, Michel Platini was heard as a person asked to provide information (Article 178 of the Swiss Code of Criminal Procedure).

Furthermore, the OAG conducted on 25 September 2015 a house search at FIFA Headquarters with the support of the Federal Criminal Police. The office of the FIFA President has been searched and data seized.

As for all defendants, the presumption of innocence applies for Mr. Joseph Blatter.