Criminal proceedings opened against Blatter

The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland has opened criminal proceedings against FIFA president Sepp Blatter on suspicion of criminal mismanagement and misappropriation.

Blatter is suspected of signing a contract with the Caribbean Football Union, then led by former FIFA heavyweight Jack Warner, in 2005 that market experts claim handed World Cup television rights for the 2010 event in South Africa and the 2014 showpiece in Brazil to Warner for a fraction of their market value.

He is also accused of making a “disloyal payment” to UEFA president Michel Platini in 2011 relating to work carried out by Platini between 1999 and 2002 when the Frenchman was a ‘special advisor’ to Blatter.

OAG interrogated 79-year-old Blatter after a meeting of the FIFA Executive Committee in Zurich on Friday, while also conducting a house search at FIFA headquarters with the support of the Federal Criminal Police.

 “Swiss criminal proceedings against the President of FIFA, Mr. Joseph Blatter, have been opened on 24 September 2015 on suspicion of criminal mismanagement (Article 158 Swiss Criminal Code / SCC) and – alternatively – misappropriation (Article 138 Swiss Criminal Code / SCC),” read an official statement from OAG.

“On the one hand, the OAG suspects that on 12 September 2005 Mr. Joseph Blatter has signed a contract with the Caribbean Football Union (with Jack Warner as the President at this time); this contract was unfavourable for FIFA. On the other hand, there is as suspicion that, in the implementation of this agreement, Joseph Blatter also violated his fiduciary duties and acted against the interest of FIFA and/or FIFA Marketing & TV AG.”