Former Fifa officials Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini have been charged with fraud and other offences by Swiss prosecutors after an investigation into a $2.2 million payment.
The charges come after a six-year investigation by Swiss officials into the payment made in 2011 by Mr Blatter, 85, to Mr Platini, 65.
Prosecutors say the pair face a trial within months at federal criminal court in Bellinzona, Switzerland.
“This payment damaged Fifa’s assets and unlawfully enriched Platini,” Swiss federal prosecutors said on Tuesday.
The investigation dates back to September 2015 when Mr Blatter forced to leave his post as Fifa president and ended then-Uefa president Mr Platini’s campaign to succeed his former mentor.
The case centres on Mr Platini’s written request to Fifa in January 2011 to be paid backdated additional salary for working as a presidential adviser in Mr Blatter’s first term, from 1998-2002.
Mr Blatter authorised Fifa to make the payment within weeks.
He was preparing to campaign for re-election in a contest against Mohamed bin Hammam of Qatar, in which the influence of Mr Platini – who had been a European member of Fifa's executive committee since 2002 – with European voters were a crucial factor.
Both Mr Blatter and Mr Platini have long denied wrongdoing and cited an oral agreement they had made, now more than 20 years ago, for the money to be paid.
Mr Blatter has been charged with fraud, mismanagement, misappropriation of Fifa funds and forgery of a document.
Mr Platini has been charged with fraud, misappropriation, forgery and as an accomplice to Blatter’s alleged mismanagement.
Mr Blatter became Fifa's general secretary in 1981 and president of world football's governing body in 1998.
He was forced to stand down in 2015 and was banned by Fifa for eight years, later reduced to six, for authorising what prosecutors called a "disloyal payment" to the former French football star Mr Platini.
The ban was imposed for multiple breaches of Fifa's ethics code and Mr Blatter was fined one million Swiss francs ($1.1m).
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
Jiu-jitsu calendar of events for 2017-2018:
August 5:
Round-1 of the President’s Cup in Al Ain.
August 11-13:
Asian Championship in Vietnam.
September 8-9:
Ajman International.
September 16-17
Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, Ashgabat.
September 22-24:
IJJF Balkan Junior Open, Montenegro.
September 23-24:
Grand Slam Los Angeles.
September 29:
Round-1 Mother of The Nation Cup.
October 13-14:
Al Ain U18 International.
September 20-21:
Al Ain International.
November 3:
Round-2 Mother of The National Cup.
November 4:
Round-2 President’s Cup.
November 10-12:
Grand Slam Rio de Janeiro.
November 24-26:
World Championship, Columbia.
November 30:
World Beach Championship, Columbia.
December 8-9:
Dubai International.
December 23:
Round-3 President’s Cup, Sharjah.
January 12-13:
Grand Slam Abu Dhabi.
January 26-27:
Fujairah International.
February 3:
Round-4 President’s Cup, Al Dhafra.
February 16-17:
Ras Al Khaimah International.
February 23-24:
The Challenge Championship.
March 10-11:
Grand Slam London.
March 16:
Final Round – Mother of The Nation.
March 17:
Final Round – President’s Cup.
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The lowdown
Badla
Rating: 2.5/5
Produced by: Red Chillies, Azure Entertainment
Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Amrita Singh, Tony Luke
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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