Swiss Launches Criminal Probe of FIFA Boss Infantino

Date: 31 July 2020 - 22:09

News ID: ۸۱۲۳۵

ZURICH (Reuters) - Criminal proceedings have been opened against FIFA president Gianni Infantino by a special prosecutor looking into dealings between the head of the global soccer body and Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber, Swiss authorities said on Thursday.
The special prosecutor Stefan Keller, appointed last month to review complaints against the two men and others, had found indications of criminal conduct related to their meetings, according to the AB-BA watchdog which oversees the Attorney General’s Office.
"This concerns abuse of public office, breach of official secrecy, assisting offenders and incitement to these acts,” the watchdog said in a statement. Both Lauber and Infantino have denied wrongdoing.
FIFA said in a statement that it would cooperate fully while Infantino said that it was "perfectly legitimate and perfectly legal” to meet the Swiss Attorney General. "It’s not a violation of anything,” he said.
"It has been my aim from day one, and it remains my aim, to assist the authorities with investigating past wrongdoings at FIFA,” he added. "FIFA officials have met with prosecutors in other jurisdictions across the world for exactly these purposes.”
Infantino was elected in 2016 to replace disgraced Sepp Blatter, who also become the subject of criminal proceedings in 2015.