FIFA case: investigation of former Swiss attorney general to close

Michael Lauber was attorney general from 2012 until the end of August 2020. © Keystone / Anthony Anex

The criminal proceedings against the former Swiss attorney general, Michael Lauber, relating to undisclosed meetings with FIFA President Gianni Infantino are to be closed down. Lauber expressed relief over the announcement.

The decision by Zurich’s special federal prosecutors Hans Maurer and Ulrich Weder was announced on Friday. The special investigators have informed the involved parties accordingly, Swiss public radio, RTS, and the Swiss media group Tamedia reported.

The case will soon be concluded and will likely end with an exoneration for Lauber. According to the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper, the proceedings against Infantino are also to be closed.

According to the statement, Lauber, Infantino and other involved individuals will have to shoulder one-seventh of the costs of the proceedings, but it is not expected that they will face charges. The involved parties will have ten days to acknowledge the decision of the special federal prosecutors.

Informal and undisclosed meetings

In 2020, the judiciary was been mandated by parliament to investigate, among other things, informal and undisclosed meetings between the former Attorney General Michael Lauber, Valais prosecutor Rinaldo Arnold and FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

In the original investigation, it was concluded that there were indications of criminal conduct in relation to undisclosed meetings between three parties in 2016 and 2017. This raised allegations of abuse of public office, breach of official secrecy, assisting offenders and incitement to these acts.

++FIFA excluded from criminal proceedings against Lauber

In August two parliamentary committees agreed to lift Lauber’s immunity – a Swiss first. They said Lauber was suspected of “abuse of office, violating confidentiality and favouritism by holding several non-recorded meetings with [Infantino and Arnold] and other people”.

Now, the special investigators seem to have no evidence of criminal acts. As such, the Swiss authorities want to discontinue the proceedings, reports Tages-Anzeiger from a memo it received.

Speaking to Swiss public television, SRF, on Friday, Lauber expressed relief about the announcement. However, he said he was not surprised by the decision. “I have always opposed the initiation of these proceedings.”

Lauber was Swiss attorney general from 2012 until the end of August 2020. He has been heavily criticised for his conduct due to possible inconsistencies surrounding investigations into FIFA.

++Scandal-hit Attorney General to quit next month

The Federal Administrative Court reprimanded undisclosed meetings with Infantino. The parliamentary judicial commission then initiated impeachment proceedings. Lauber later resigned. His successor was the former head of the Bern cantonal police department, Stefan Blättler.