In the trial against former Fifa President Joseph Blatter and ex-Uefa boss Michel Platini, the Swiss federal prosecutor’s office has demanded a suspended prison sentence of one year and eight months for both of them. Platini should also pay a fine of around 2.2 million francs (around 2.1 million euros).
Both have to answer for allegations of fraud and other crimes, they reject all allegations. The verdict is expected on July 8th.
On the sixth day of the trial, the federal prosecutor held their plea. Blatter and Platini are guilty of fraud, embezzlement or unfaithful business management and forgery of documents, federal prosecutor Thomas Hildbrand said on Wednesday before the Federal Criminal Court.
The defendants “did not show the slightest remorse”. “Blatter and Platini were free to decide for or against the law,” said Hildebrand. They would have chosen the wrong “without good reason”. The agreements among themselves speak for a “not inconsiderable criminal energy”.
Platini countered on Wednesday that the prosecutor’s indictment was completely unfounded and that the criminal proceedings had no right to exist. He will plead for acquittal. “I am reassured and confident,” Platini said in a statement.
Blatter (86) had previously denied the allegations during his interrogation and complained about prejudice in the media. It was “totally incomprehensible” for him that the process was in a courtroom, Blatter said last Thursday before the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona, Switzerland.
The payment of two million Swiss francs to Platini (66) went through all the necessary bodies at the World Football Association. “It is an owed late payment of wages. This is an administrative matter in a club and it is dealt with under civil law,” said Blatter.
The fact that the two-million payment to the former president of the European Football Union was based on an agreement was a protective claim by the accused, said Hildbrand. There is no legal basis for this payment.
The defendants are accused of having deceived the world association about an allegedly outstanding claim by Platini. According to the indictment, Blatter is said to have unlawfully confirmed the payment of FIFA in the amount of two million francs (currently around 1.92 million euros) plus social security contributions to Platini.
After he was elected FIFA boss in 1998, he agreed to work with Platini, Blatter reported. He said: “I’m worth a million.” In August 1999, a contract backdated to the beginning of the year was agreed with a salary of 300,000 Swiss francs.
When Platini pointed out that this was not the entire agreed sum, he said: “We’ll see about that later.” In 2011, the sum of two million Swiss francs was billed by Platini.
