Los directores de la FIFA y Platini enfrentan un nuevo juicio por fraude.
Two men were paid almost three years ago, but the Attorney General and FIFA appealed the decision.
Former football management agency leaders Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini appeared in a Swiss court on Monday to face a new trial on fraud charges. Blatter, former president of FIFA, and Platini, former president of UEFA and ex-vice president of FIFA, also face embezzlement and improper learning fees.
The trial is being held nine and a half years after Swiss investigators opened the case and two and a half years after they were indicted by three Swiss judges on charges related to a payment issued by FIFA with Blatter’s approval of 2 million Swiss francs (currently 2.12 million euros) to Platini in 2011.
Both men have consistently denied wrongdoing, claiming they had a verbal agreement for Platini to be paid for advisory work during their first presidential term from 1998 to 2002. The trial is being conducted in German by three judges from different cantons. The verdict is expected to be issued on March 25.
Blatter and Platini both resigned from their positions after details of the payment came to light during a corruption scandal that rocked FIFA in 2015. The revelation also ultimately ended Platini’s campaign to succeed him as FIFA president.
The trial was delayed following challenges from the judges
When federal prosecutors and filed the initial indictment in November 2021, they stated that the payment was «damaging legacy of FIFA and enriched Platini illicitly. The current process has been delayed after Platini won a ruling last year that ordered a REFERRAL TO FEDERAL APPEALS COURT. Federal prosecutors have requested sentences of 20 months, suspended for two years.
FIFA was not represented in court on Monday. In light of their absence in the proceedings, Platini’s lawyer, Dominic Nellen, asked the judges to reject the appeal and civil recovery request. FIFA has filed a civil recovery request for 229,000 Swiss francs (approximately 243,000 euros) for social charges, plus interest. Platini stated that he declared the money as income and paid taxes on it.
