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Ex-FIFA duo Blatter and Platini face renewed fraud allegations

Federal prosecutor upholds accusation of fraud against Blatter and Platini
Federal prosecutor upholds accusation of fraud against Blatter and Platini Keystone-SDA

A new Swiss court case against former football officials Joseph Blatter and Michel Platini has accused the pair of cheating FIFA out of CHF2 million.

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There is no evidence of a verbal agreement for this payment to Platini, said federal prosecutor Thomas Hildbrand. It was also “contrary to the record” that Platini had already started his consultancy work in 1998, for which FIFA is said to have owed him money in 2011.

+ Switzerland at the heart of sports corruption

Hildebrand also rejected the allegations of political motives by the Office of the Attorney General as absurd. “This fairy tale belongs in the category of conspiracy theories, which must be denied entry into the hallowed halls of the courts,” said Hildbrand.

The Office of the Attorney General had accused Blatter and Platini of fraud, among other things. After the two were acquitted by the Federal Criminal Court in 2022, the Office of the Attorney General appealed.

An extraordinary appeals chamber is now reopening the case.

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Translated from German by DeepL/mga

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