This week, a Swiss court upheld the acquittal of former FIFA president Joseph Blatter and former UEFA president Michel Platini on fraud charges, SRF reported.
The public prosecutor had sought suspended prison sentences of one year and eight months for the two defendants over questionable payments. However, both Blatter (89) and Platini (69) were acquitted.
The pair were previously cleared in 2022 after prosecutors failed to prove fraud beyond reasonable doubt. Following that verdict, the federal prosecutor appealed, seeking a retrial.
The prosecution alleged that payments authorised by Blatter and made to Platini were not for actual work, as the defence claimed. Between 1998 and 2002, Platini invoiced FIFA for CHF 300,000 annually, and the organization paid the invoices.
The defence argued that the payments were legitimate—compensation for consulting work and a retroactive salary adjustment. Furthermore, they were allegedly based on an oral agreement, which Blatter described as a “gentlemen’s agreement.”
Despite being the injured party, FIFA showed little interest in the case. Its lack of engagement led the court to deem its appeal withdrawn, leaving the federal prosecutor to pursue the case alone.
The federal prosecutor may now decide to escalate the case to Switzerland’s Federal Supreme Court for a further appeal.
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