Latest news with #SwissCriminalCourt
Dubai Eye
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Dubai Eye
Ex-FIFA chief Blatter and Platini cleared in corruption case
Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and France football great Michel Platini were both cleared of corruption charges by a Swiss court on Tuesday, two and a half years after they were first acquitted of the offences. The pair, once among the most powerful figures in global football, were cleared of fraud at the Extraordinary Appeals Chamber of the Swiss Criminal Court in the town of Muttenz, near Basel. The hearing came about after Swiss federal prosecutors appealed against their 2022 acquittal at a lower court. Both men had denied the charge which related to a 2 million Swiss franc ($2.26 million) payment Blatter authorised for Platini in 2011. The court said there were doubts about the prosecution's allegation the payment for Platini, a former captain and manager of the French national team, was fraudulent. The 2022 indictment had accused Blatter and Platini of deceiving FIFA staff in 2010 and 2011 about an obligation for world football's ruling body to pay Platini. "They falsely claimed that FIFA owed Platini, or that Platini was entitled to, the sum of 2 million Swiss francs for advisory work. This deception was achieved through repeated untruthful claims made by both accused parties," the indictment said. But the court cleared the pair, saying their account of an oral agreement for the payment could not be ruled out. Platini had argued that the payment had been partly deferred until 2011 because FIFA lacked the funds to pay him in full immediately. The court said the pair had both been consistent in their accounts of the payment, which covered consultancy work carried out by Platini for Blatter between 1998 and 2002. Platini's experience as a top footballer and coach, explained the size of the payment, said the court, which followed the legal principle that in cases of doubt, favour the accused. "It can not be assumed that the defendants acted with the intention of enriching themselves in the sense of the charged offences," the court said. The scandal, which emerged in 2015 when Platini was president of European football's ruling body UEFA, ended his hopes of succeeding Blatter, who was forced out of FIFA over the affair. Blatter and Platini were suspended from football in 2015 by FIFA for ethics breaches, originally for eight years, although their exclusions were later reduced. Platini said he was relieved the case was over, and he had received messages of support from 10,000 people. "The persecution of FIFA and some Swiss federal prosecutors for 10 years is now over," Platini told reporters. "It is now totally over. And for me, today, my honour has returned and I am very happy." The 69-year-old said he thought the case had been intended to prevent him becoming FIFA president, but he was now too old to return to football. The money, which had been confiscated and held by the Swiss authorities, can now be returned to him. A frail-looking Blatter hugged his daughter Corinne after the judgement and said he was relieved with the decision. "It is a great relief for me because it's been going on for ten years. It's like a sword of Damocles hanging over my head," he told reporters. "And now it's over and I can breathe," the 89-year-old said. Prosecutors had sought a sentence of 20 months in jail, suspended for two years for both Blatter and Platini. The Swiss attorney general's office said it would review the written judgement, before deciding whether to appeal again to the Swiss Federal Court, the country's highest legal authority.
Khaleej Times
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Ex-Fifa chief Blatter and Platini cleared in corruption case
Former Fifa President Sepp Blatter and France soccer great Michel Platini were both cleared of corruption charges by a Swiss court on Tuesday, two and a half years after they were first acquitted of the offences. The pair, once among the most powerful figures in global soccer, were cleared of fraud at the Extraordinary Appeals Chamber of the Swiss Criminal Court in the town of Muttenz, near Basel. The hearing came about after Swiss federal prosecutors appealed against their 2022 acquittal at a lower court. Both men had denied the charge. "After two acquittals, even the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland must realise that these criminal proceedings have definitively failed. Michel Platini must finally be left in peace in criminal matters," Platini's lawyer Dominic Nellen said in a statement. The case related to a 2 million Swiss franc ($2.26 million) payment Blatter authorised for Platini, a former captain and manager of the French national team, in 2011. The payment was a consultancy fee paid to Platini for work carried out between 1998 and 2002, which the Frenchman said had been partly deferred because Fifa lacked the funds to pay him in full immediately. The scandal, which emerged in 2015 when Platini was president of European soccer's ruling body Uefa, ended his hopes of succeeding Blatter, who was forced out of Fifa over the affair. "The criminal proceedings have had not only legal but also massive personal and professional consequences for Michel Platini – although no incriminating evidence was ever presented. Among other things, the criminal proceedings prevented his election as Fifa president in 2016," Nellen said. Platini said on Tuesday he was "very happy" and felt that his honour had been restored after a Swiss court acquitted him of fraud. "The persecution of FIFA and some Swiss federal prosecutors for 10 years is now over," Platini told reporters. "It is now totally over. And for me, today, my honour has returned and I am very happy." Platini, a former captain and manager of the French national team, said he had received 10,000 messages of support and would celebrate the decision by going to a restaurant.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former FIFA Boss Sepp Blatter and French Soccer Icon Michel Platini Cleared of Corruption Charges in Swiss Court
A Swiss appeals court has acquitted former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and French football icon Michel Platini of corruption charges. The verdict, delivered on Tuesday at the Extraordinary Appeals Chamber of the Swiss Criminal Court in Muttenz, near Basel, upheld the duo's 2022 acquittal, marking the end of a long-running legal battle over a controversial payment made in 2011. The case centered around a payment of 2 million Swiss francs ($2.26 million) that Blatter authorized for Platini in 2011. Swiss federal prosecutors alleged that the payment, made while Platini was president of UEFA, was fraudulent and without legal basis. However, the court ruled that there was insufficient evidence to support the prosecution's claims. More from Variety Imagine Making Documentary About U.S. Men's Soccer Team Historic Run at 1994 World Cup (EXCLUSIVE) Netflix Scores FIFA Women's World Cup Exclusive U.S. Rights for 2027 and 2031 FIFA Teams With Mythical Games for 'FIFA Rivals' Mobile Game The ruling reaffirmed that Blatter and Platini had a gentlemen's agreement regarding the payment, which covered consultancy work Platini performed for FIFA between 1998 and 2002. 'It cannot be assumed that the defendants acted with the intention of enriching themselves in the sense of the charged offenses,' the court stated. The FIFA scandal erupted in 2015, exposing widespread corruption within the organization. While the controversy forced Blatter to resign and derailed Platini's hopes of becoming FIFA president, both men maintained their innocence throughout the legal proceedings. Speaking after the verdict, Blatter, 89, expressed his relief. 'It is a great relief for me because it's been going on for ten years,' he told the assembled press, as reported by Reuters. 'And now it's over, and I can breathe.' Platini, 69, echoed similar sentiments. 'The persecution of FIFA and some Swiss federal prosecutors for 10 years is now over. It is now totally over. And for me, today, my honor has returned, and I am very happy.' The Swiss Attorney General's Office stated that it would review the court's written judgment before deciding whether to appeal to the Swiss Federal Court, the country's highest legal authority. Prosecutors had initially sought a 20-month suspended jail sentence for both men. Meanwhile, Platini's legal team has signaled its intention to take legal action against those responsible for the criminal proceedings. 'The Office of the Attorney General has not managed to find a single piece of incriminating evidence for over 10 years,' Platini's lawyer, Dominic Nellen, said in a statement. 'These proceedings were not justified and should never have been conducted.' Blatter and Platini were originally suspended from football in 2015 due to ethics breaches, with their bans later reduced. With the legal case behind them, the former footballing powerhouses are now considering their next steps, though Platini has ruled out a return to the sport, stating that he is now too old for such ambitions. Despite their acquittal, the scandal has left an indelible mark on both men's legacies. Blatter, who joined FIFA in 1975 and assumed the presidency in 1998, presided over one of the most contentious periods in the organization's history. Platini, a three-time Ballon d'Or winner and captain of France's victorious 1984 European Championship squad, saw his administrative career come to a sudden halt amid the accusations. Best of Variety The Best Celebrity Memoirs to Read This Year: From Chelsea Handler to Anthony Hopkins New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Oscars 2026: First Blind Predictions Including Timothée Chalamet, Emma Stone, 'Wicked: For Good' and More
Al Jazeera
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Ex-FIFA chief Blatter and Platini cleared in corruption case in Switzerland
Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and France football great Michel Platini were both cleared of corruption charges by a Swiss appeals court, two and a half years after they were first acquitted of the offences. The pair, once among the most powerful figures in global football, were cleared of fraud on Tuesday at the Extraordinary Appeals Chamber of the Swiss Criminal Court in the town of Muttenz near Basel. The hearing came about after Swiss federal prosecutors appealed against the two men's 2022 acquittal in a lower court. Blatter and Platini had denied the charge. 'After two acquittals, even the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland must realise that these criminal proceedings have definitively failed. Michel Platini must finally be left in peace in criminal matters,' Platini's lawyer Dominic Nellen said in a statement. The case related to a 2 million Swiss franc ($2.26m) payment Blatter authorised for Platini, a former captain and manager of the French national team, in 2011. The payment was a consultancy fee paid to Platini for work carried out from 1998 to 2002 that the Frenchman said had been partly deferred because FIFA lacked the funds to pay him in full immediately. The scandal, which emerged in 2015 when Platini was president of UEFA, European football's ruling body, ended his hopes of succeeding Blatter, who was forced out of FIFA over the affair. 'The criminal proceedings have had not only legal but also massive personal and professional consequences for Michel Platini – although no incriminating evidence was ever presented. Among other things, the criminal proceedings prevented his election as FIFA president in 2016,' Nellen said.
NBC News
25-03-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Ex-FIFA chief Blatter and soccer great Platini cleared in corruption case
Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and France soccer great Michel Platini were both cleared of corruption charges by a Swiss court on Tuesday, two-and-a-half years after they were first acquitted of the offenses. The pair, once among the most powerful figures in global soccer, were cleared of fraud at the Extraordinary Appeals Chamber of the Swiss Criminal Court in the town of Muttenz, near Basel. The hearing came about after Swiss federal prosecutors appealed against their 2022 acquittal at a lower court. Both men had denied the charge. 'After two acquittals, even the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland must realize that these criminal proceedings have definitively failed. Michel Platini must finally be left in peace in criminal matters,' Platini's lawyer Dominic Nellen said in a statement. The case related to a 2 million Swiss franc ($2.26 million) payment Blatter authorized for Platini, a former captain and manager of the French national team, in 2011. The payment was a consultancy fee paid to Platini for work carried out between 1998 and 2002, which the Frenchman said had been partly deferred because FIFA lacked the funds to pay him in full immediately. The scandal, which emerged in 2015 when Platini was president of European soccer's ruling body UEFA, ended his hopes of succeeding Blatter, who was forced out of FIFA over the affair. 'The criminal proceedings have had not only legal but also massive personal and professional consequences for Michel Platini — although no incriminating evidence was ever presented. Among other things, the criminal proceedings prevented his election as FIFA president in 2016,' Nellen said.
