By Chinasaokwu Helen Okoro
Former Fifa president Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini cleared in corruption case Swiss Criminal Court clears pair of fraud mismanagement Hearing came after appeal against their acquittal in 2022.
Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini emerged victorious in court once again on Tuesday, now holding a 2-0 lead in their trial outcomes against Swiss federal prosecutors.
Once the most influential figures in soccer, former FIFA president Blatter and former UEFA president Platini were acquitted for the second time in a case that has spanned a decade.
They faced allegations of fraud, forgery, mismanagement, and the misappropriation of over 2 million US dollars of FIFA funds dating back to 2011.
At 89 years old, Blatter displayed minimal reaction as he listened to the ruling delivered by three cantonal judges serving as a federal criminal appeals court.
Seated in front of Platini, he alternated between tapping his fingers on the desk and covering his mouth with his left hand.
Only after the 55-minute verdict was announced did Blatter smile, reaching out to shake his lawyer’s hand.
He then embraced his daughter, Corinne, for an extended moment.
“You saw my daughter in tears because she believed in her father, and I had faith in myself,” Blatter remarked, describing the relief of having a metaphorical sword of Damocles lifted from his life. “Waiting for such a long time takes a toll on a person, and my family has been deeply affected.”
Platini, sitting with his arms crossed or rubbing his hands, listened as a translator conveyed the court’s decision from German into his native French.
“This persecution by FIFA and certain Swiss federal prosecutors has now come to an end, completely finished,” Platini stated as he exited the courtroom, asserting that his reputation had been restored. “I’m very happy.”
The Swiss attorney general’s office had contested an initial acquittal in July 2022, seeking a 20-month sentence, suspended for two years. The indictment claimed that the payment “damaged FIFA’s assets and unlawfully enriched Platini.”
“Michel Platini deserves to be left in peace regarding criminal matters,” his lawyer, Dominic Nellen, said in a statement. “After two acquittals, even the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland must recognize that these criminal proceedings have definitively concluded.”
The prosecutors’ office has indicated in a statement that it may file an additional appeal to the Swiss supreme court, noting that it “will determine the next steps.”
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