Authorities seize documents from French soccer federation
by Joshua Franklin,
2016-03-09 15:11:31.0
ZURICH — Authorities searched the offices of France’s soccer federation and seized documents in support of a Swiss investigation into former Fifa president Sepp Blatter, Switzerland’s office of the attorney-general said on Wednesday.
The operation, carried out on Tuesday, was linked to a Sf2m ($2m) payment at the heart of proceedings against the former head of world football’s scandal-plagued governing body, the office said.
Swiss prosecutors said in September they had opened a criminal investigation into Blatter on suspicion of criminal mismanagement and misappropriation of funds. He dismissed the allegations.
Blatter has also been banned from soccer for six years over the payment to Michel Platini in 2011 by Fifa with Blatter’s approval for work done a decade earlier. Both have denied any wrongdoing.
More than 40 individuals and entities, including many former Fifa officials, have also been charged with corruption-related offences in the US, in the worst corruption crisis in Fifa’s history.
"Documents were seized in connection with the suspected payment of Sf2m that is inter alia the subject of the proceedings," the office of the attorney-general said in a statement.
The search was carried out in response to a Swiss request in January for mutual legal assistance, the office said.
There was no immediate comment from the French association.
Swiss Blatter’s 18-year tenure as Fifa president officially ended in February last month with the election of Gianni Infantino.
Reuters
Sepp Blatter. Picture: AFP PHOTO/FABRICE COFFRINI
ZURICH — Authorities searched the offices of France’s soccer federation and seized documents in support of a Swiss investigation into former Fifa president Sepp Blatter, Switzerland’s office of the attorney-general said on Wednesday.
The operation, carried out on Tuesday, was linked to a Sf2m ($2m) payment at the heart of proceedings against the former head of world football’s scandal-plagued governing body, the office said.
Swiss prosecutors said in September they had opened a criminal investigation into Blatter on suspicion of criminal mismanagement and misappropriation of funds. He dismissed the allegations.
Blatter has also been banned from soccer for six years over the payment to Michel Platini in 2011 by Fifa with Blatter’s approval for work done a decade earlier. Both have denied any wrongdoing.
More than 40 individuals and entities, including many former Fifa officials, have also been charged with corruption-related offences in the US, in the worst corruption crisis in Fifa’s history.
"Documents were seized in connection with the suspected payment of Sf2m that is inter alia the subject of the proceedings," the office of the attorney-general said in a statement.
The search was carried out in response to a Swiss request in January for mutual legal assistance, the office said.
There was no immediate comment from the French association.
Swiss Blatter’s 18-year tenure as Fifa president officially ended in February last month with the election of Gianni Infantino.
Reuters
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