The Swiss Public Prosecutor’s Office requested, on Wednesday, a suspended prison sentence of one year and eight months against the Frenchman, Michel Platini, and the former Swiss president of FIFA, Joseph Blatter, against the background of defrauding the International Football Association “FIFA” by obtaining unjustified compensation in the amount of two million dollars. Swiss francs (1.8 million euros) for the former football star.
The Federal Criminal Court in Bellentsuna will issue its decision on July 8 in this case, which destroyed the careers of the two men, with the penalty of up to five years in prison.
The Swiss Federal Criminal Court had said that Markus Kattner, the former financial director of the International Football Association (FIFA), testified on Tuesday, at the trial.
Blatter and Platini face accusations, including defrauding FIFA, in connection with the transfer of two million Swiss francs to Platini in 2011 on the grounds that it was in return for consulting work he provided to FIFA between 1998 and 2002.
Blatter and Platini reiterated their innocence of any wrongdoing, and Blatter stressed that the payment of “overdue dues” had gone through all the necessary procedures in FIFA.
Platini said that political motives were behind the case that saw him and Blatter suspended from any football-related activity, which smashed Platini’s ambition to succeed Blatter as FIFA president, which is currently occupied by former UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino.
Blatter and Platini’s trial takes a total of 11 days, ending on June 22, with a verdict issued on July 8.