The former presidents of UEFA and FIFA, Michel Platini and Joseph Blatter, They will be tried from June 8 to 22 in Switzerland for fraudin the case of the alleged payment that separated them in 2015 from world football, the Federal Criminal Court of the Swiss country announced on Tuesday.
The two former leaders, also accused of Unfair management, abuse of trust and false titlesare suspected of having “illegally obtained, to the detriment of FIFA, a payment of 2 million Swiss francs” (2.1 million dollars) “in favor of Michel Platini”, specifies the jurisdiction based in Bellinzona (southeast Switzerland) .
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The triple Ballon d’Or, advisor to ‘Sepp’ Blatter between 1998 and 2002in his first term at FIFA, according to a written contract signed in 1999, he agreed to an annual remuneration of 300,000 Swiss francs, “invoiced by Platini and fully paid by FIFA,” the Swiss prosecutor’s office recalled in early November.
In 2011, “more than 8 years after the end of his activity as director”the former captain of Les Bleus “asserted a debt of 2 million Swiss francs”, paid by the football body “with the help” of Blatter, and judged “unfounded” by the accusation.
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Both repeat from the beginning of the investigation that they had orally decided on an annual salary of one million Swiss francs for this advisory job, without FIFA’s finances at that time allowing payment to Platini, for which, according to them, the debt was simply paid late.
Fraud can lead to 5 years in prison “or to a pecuniary penalty” in Swiss law.
