You know how Sepp Blatter keeps saying he’s innocent, a mere tiny pawn in a gigantic, uncontrollable footballing game of chess.
The office of the Swiss attorney general has opened criminal proceedings against Blatter, and they are giving examples of his misdeeds.
Involved in the wrongdoing are Jack Warner, the Caribbean Football Union president who had a comically-indignant summer, and Michel Platini, the head of UEFA.
From the Swiss attorney general’s office:Swiss criminal proceedings against the President of FIFA, Mr. Joseph Blatter, have been opened on 24 September 2015 on suspicion of criminal mismanagement (Article 158 Swiss Criminal Code / SCC) and – alternatively – misappropriation (Article 138 Swiss Criminal Code / SCC).
On the one hand, the OAG suspects that on 12 September 2005 Mr. Joseph Blatter has signed a contract with the Caribbean Football Union (with Jack Warner as the President at this time); this contract was unfavorable for FIFA. On the other hand, there is as suspicion that, in the implementation of this agreement, Joseph Blatter also violated his fiduciary duties and acted against the interest of FIFA and/or FIFA Marketing & TV AG.
Additionally, Mr. Joseph Blatter is suspected of a disloyal payment of CHF 2 Mio. to Michel Platini, President of Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), at the expense of FIFA, which was allegedly made for work performed between January 1999 and June 2002 ; this payment was executed in February 2011.
Widespread? That’s Europe and the Caribbean, and we haven’t even touched the Middle East and Africa. This is going to get nasty. If Blatter really was about protecting FIFA, it would’ve never gotten this far.
More to come...