November 02, (THEWILL) – Prosecutors in Switzerland have charged Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini with fraud.
Following an inquiry into payments made by former FIFA President Blatter to former UEFA President Platini, the two men have been banned from football.
Blatter, 85, and Platini, 65, will be tried in a federal criminal court in Bellinzona, Switzerland, in the coming months. The Swiss federal prosecutors said “this payment damaged FIFA’s assets and unlawfully enriched Platini.”
After approving what prosecutors deemed a “disloyal payment” to Platini, Blatter was forced to resign as FIFA president in 2015 due to ethical violations.
The payment in question was approved on January 18, 2011, and it was transferred from FIFA to Platini on February 1 of the same year.
Platini wrote to Blatter in January 2011 requesting that he be paid backdated additional income for his work as a presidential adviser during Blatter’s first tenure as FIFA president, from 1998 to 2002.
According to prosecutors, Blatter authorised FIFA to make the payment, which was not made in the best interests of the world football’s governing organisation. Platini claims Blatter told him at the time that FIFA could not afford to pay because of the organisation’s financial situation.
Platini and Blatter were both first sentenced to eight years in prison in December 2015, but their sentences were lowered to six years after an appeal.
The two individuals deny any wrongdoing, claiming that the money was agreed to be paid verbally.
Blatter has been charged with forgery of a document, fraud, mismanagement, and misappropriation of FIFA money while Platini stands accused of forgery, fraud, and being an accomplice to Blatter’s alleged mismanagement.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
