Blatter and Platini charged with fraud over CHF2m payment | SportBusiness

Blatter and Platini charged with fraud over CHF2m payment | SportBusiness: The%20Office%20of%20the%20Attorney%20General%20of%20Switzerland%20%28OAG%29%20announced%20today%20%28Tuesday%29%20that%20it%20has%20filed%20an%20indictment%20against%20the%20duo%2C%20who%20now%20face%20trial%20at%20the%20Federal%20Criminal%20Court%20in%20Bellinzona%2C%20Switzerland.%0A%0ASwiss%20prosecutors%20last%20year%20widened%20the%20investigation%20into%20a%202011%20payment%20made%20by%20Fifa%20to%20Platini%20in%202011.%20The%20case%20opened%20over%20six%20years%20ago%20and%20led%20to%20Blatter%20stepping%20down%20prematurely%20as%20Fifa%20president%20and%20ended%20Platini%u2019s%20bid%20to%20succeed%20the%20Swiss.%0A%0AFifa%20opted%20to%20ban%20both%20Blatter%20and%20Platini%20in%20relation%20to%20the%20payment%20of%20CHF2m%20%28%u20AC1.9m/%242.2m%29%20to%20Platini%20for%20historic%20work%20as%20a%20presidential%20adviser%20to%20Blatter%20from%201998%20to%202002.%20In%20early%202011%2C%20Blatter%20was%20preparing%20to%20face%20rival%20Mohamed%20Bin%20Hammam%20in%20the%20Fifa%20presidential%20election%20and%20Platini%20was%20viewed%20as%20having%20influence%20amongst%20European%20voters.%0A%0ABlatter%2C%20now%2085%2C%20is%20accused%20by%20the%20OAG%20of%20fraud%2C%20misappropriation%2C%20criminal%20mismanagement%20and%20forgery%20of%20a%20document.%20Platini%2C%2066%2C%20is%20accused%20of%20fraud%2C%20misappropriation%2C%20forgery%20and%20participating%20in%20Blatter%u2019s%20alleged%20criminal%20mismanagement%20as%20an%20accomplice.%20Platini%20was%20not%20placed%20under%20formal%20investigation%20until%20last%20year.%0A%0ABlatter%20and%20Platini%20have%20consistently%20denied%20wrongdoing%20and%20cited%20a%20verbal%20agreement%20that%20they%20had.%0A%0ADetailing%20the%20alleged%20offences%2C%20the%20Swiss%20prosecutors%20said%3A%20%u201CIn%20summary%2C%20the%20OAG%u2019s%20investigation%20has%20revealed%20the%20following%3A%20between%201998%20and%202002%2C%20Michel%20Platini%20worked%20as%20a%20consultant%20for%20the%20then%20Fifa%20President%20Joseph%20Blatter.%20In%201999%2C%20an%20annual%20compensation%20of%20CHF300%2C000%20was%20agreed%20upon%20in%20a%20written%20contract%20for%20this%20advisory%20activity.%20This%20written%20contract%20was%20signed%20by%20both%20Blatter%20and%20Platini.%20The%20compensation%20agreed%20in%20accordance%20with%20this%20contract%20was%20invoiced%20by%20Platini%20on%20each%20occasion%20and%20paid%20in%20full%20by%20Fifa.%0A%0A%u201COver%20eight%20years%20after%20the%20termination%20of%20his%20advisory%20activity%2C%20Platini%20demanded%20a%20payment%20in%20the%20amount%20of%20CHF2m.%20With%20Blatter%u2019s%20involvement%2C%20Fifa%20made%20a%20payment%20to%20Platini%20in%20said%20amount%20at%20the%20beginning%20of%202011.%20The%20evidence%20gathered%20by%20the%20OAG%20has%20corroborated%20that%20this%20payment%20to%20Platini%20was%20made%20without%20a%20legal%20basis.%20This%20payment%20damaged%20FIFA%u2019s%20assets%20and%20unlawfully%20enriched%20Platini.%20In%20the%20view%20of%20the%20OAG%2C%20the%20accused%20have%20committed%20the%20offences%20listed%20above.%u201D%0A%0AIn%20a%20statement%20published%20by%20the%20Associated%20Press%2C%20Blatter%20said%3A%20%u201CI%20view%20the%20proceedings%20at%20the%20federal%20criminal%20court%20with%20optimism%20%u2013%20and%20hope%20that%2C%20with%20this%2C%20this%20story%20will%20come%20to%20an%20end%20and%20all%20the%20facts%20will%20be%20worked%20through%20cleanly.%u201D%0A%0APlatini%20was%20banned%20by%20Fifa%u2019s%20Executive%20Committee%20in%20December%202015%2C%20whilst%20running%20to%20replace%20Blatter%20as%20the%20head%20of%20the%20world%20game.%0A%0APlatini%u2019s%20eight-year%20ban%20from%20world%20football%20was%20initially%20reduced%20to%20six%20years%20by%20Fifa%u2019s%20Appeals%20Committee.%20In%20May%202016%2C%20Platini%20resigned%20as%20president%20of%20Uefa%20after%20he%20failed%20in%20his%20latest%20bid%20to%20overturn%20the%20ban%2C%20with%20the%20Court%20of%20Arbitration%20for%20Sport%20%28CAS%29%20instead%20opting%20to%20reduce%20his%20suspension%20from%20six%20to%20four%20years.%0A%0AEarlier%20this%20year%2C%20a%20Swiss%20court%20rejected%20Fifa%u2019s%20request%20to%20reopen%20an%20investigation%20into%20Blatter%20over%20a%20case%20relating%20to%20a%202005%20media%20rights%20deal%20struck%20with%20the%20Caribbean%20Football%20Union.