Geneva (AFP)
The Swiss Public Prosecution announced that it had decided to appeal the acquittal of Frenchman Michel Platini and former FIFA President Sepp Blatter in a fraud case.
The statement stated that the Public Prosecution Office sent an appeal statement to the Appeals Court of the Federal Criminal Court within the statutory period and “requested the complete annulment of the preliminary ruling,” and the Public Prosecution confirmed that it would not make any further statements on this matter.
After six years of investigations and a two-week trial, the Swiss judiciary on July 8 acquitted Blatter, the president of the European Union “UEFA” and former football star Platini, for lack of sufficient evidence in a case of fraud and forgery that ended their managerial careers in the world of football.
The Criminal Court in Plinzona did not approve the Public Prosecution’s requests in mid-June to imprison Blatter “86 years” and Platini “67 years” with a suspended sentence of one year and eight months, on the grounds of defrauding the International Federation, for Platini obtaining unjustified compensation of two million Swiss francs (1.8 million Swiss francs). Million Euros”, for consulting work for Blatter between 1998 and 2002.
Platini and Blatter signed a written agreement in August 1999 stipulating that FIFA would pay 300,000 Swiss francs annually, confirming that they had agreed by verbal contract to pay 700,000 more annually when the FIFA finances allowed it.
Platini, the three-time European Golden Ball holder for the best player in the eighties, who held the presidency of the European Union between 2007 and 2015 and was aspiring 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 submitted to “FIFA”. » As a late salary balance, while the Public Prosecution considered it false.
While Blatter saw before the judges that the former Juventus star “deserves a million”, Platini described the negotiations as not being so formal.
The two men who sought acquittal alleged political and judicial manipulation aimed at removing them from power.
Blatter joined FIFA in 1975 and became Secretary-General in 1981 and then head of the largest football organization from 1998, he was forced in 2015 to give up his position and suspended eight years that were reduced to six, for violating the rules of ethics.
As for Platini, who is considered among the most prominent players in the history of football, in turn, he was subjected to an eight-year ban, which was reduced to four by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.