Geneva (AFP)
The Swiss prosecutor has announced that it has decided to challenge the acquittal of Frenchman Michel Platini and former FIFA president Sepp Blatter in a case of fraud.
The statement stated that the Public Prosecutor’s Office sent a memorandum of appeal to the Court of Appeal of the Federal Criminal Court within the statutory time limit and “requested the complete annulment of the preliminary ruling”, and the Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that it did not would make further statements regarding this matter.
After six years of investigation and a two-week trial, on 8 July the Swiss judiciary acquitted Blatter, president of the “UEFA” European Union and former football star Platini, for lack of sufficient evidence in a case of fraud and forgery. ended their managerial careers in the world of football.
The Criminal Court of Plinzona did not accept in mid-June the requests of the Public Prosecutor’s Office to imprison Blatter “86 years” and Platini “67 years” with the suspension of the sentence of one year and eight months, on charges of fraud against the Federation International, for Platini obtaining an unjustified compensation of two million Swiss francs (1.8 million Swiss francs) Million euros “, for consulting activities for Blatter between 1998 and 2002.
Platini and Blatter signed a written agreement in August 1999 under which FIFA would pay 300,000 Swiss francs a year, confirming that they had verbally agreed to pay an additional 700,000 francs a year when FIFA finances would allow it.
Platini, three times European Ballon d’Or for the best player of the Eighties, who held the presidency of the European Union from 2007 to 2015 and aspired to the presidency of “FIFA”, presented a bill of two million Swiss francs ( 1.8 million euros), at the beginning of 2011, which Blatter signed and presented to “FIFA” ».
While Blatter saw before the judges that the former Juventus star “deserves a million”, Platini called the deal a little formal.
The two men who asked for absolution denounced political and judicial manipulation aimed at removing them from power.
Blatter joined FIFA in 1975 and became general secretary in 1981 and then head of the largest football organization since 1998. In 2015 he was forced to relinquish his position and suspended eight years reduced to six, for violating the rules. ethical rules.
As for Platini, considered one of the most prominent players in football history, he in turn was subjected to an eight-year ban, reduced to four by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
