Blatter and Platini in Swiss court on fraud charges

Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and former UEFA President Michael Platini will appear in Swiss court on Wednesday on charges of fraudulent 2015 payments.

Blatter, 86, and Platini, 66, will begin a two-week trial at the Swiss Federal Criminal Court in the southern city of Belinsuna.

Two former officials charged with misconduct, breach of trust and fraud have been charged with platinum for “illegally obtaining two million Swiss francs (8 1.8 million) in FIFA accounts received in 2011”.

The court heard that Platini had submitted a fictitious invoice to FIFA in 2011 for his role as FIFA adviser between 1998 and 2002.

The court concludes on July 22, with all three judges set to deliver their verdicts on July 8.

Both face up to five years in prison or a fine.

Platini and Blatter were barred from engaging in any activity related to football, at which point the French seemed ready to be at the top of the Swiss-based international body.

Platini’s impatience to seize power turned hostile, while Blatter’s fall came quickly in 2015 in a separate corruption investigation by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

At the Belinsuna trial, the defense and prosecution agreed at one point: Platini had been appointed Blatter’s adviser between 1998 and 2002. According to the Swiss Attorney General’s Office, in 1999 Platini signed a contract for an annual salary of 300,000 Swiss francs, which was billed and paid in full by FIFA.

However, more than eight years after his consultation, Platini has demanded two million stoves, “the office added.

According to the Federal Attorney’s Office, FIFA paid the amount to Platini in early 2011, with Blatter’s participation. Evidence collected by the Swiss Attorney’s Office confirmed that the money was made to Platini without legal basis. The money damaged FIFA’s assets and illegally affected Platini.

Both insist on a verbal agreement of one million francs annual salary from the outset.

Platini told Agency France-Presse in a statement: “This is the FIFA’s unpaid salary under the Verbal Agreement and is subject to better legal terms. Nothing extra! I have acted very openly in everything like my life and career.

As a civil party, FIFA wants to get back the money paid in 2011 for its own purpose only: Football and Football Association lawyer May Hall Shirazi told AFP.

Blatter joined FIFA in 1975, becoming its secretary general in 1981 and its chairman in 1998.

Switzerland was forced to step down as head of the World Organization in 2015 and was sentenced by the International Federation to 8 years, after which he was reduced to 6 years for ethical violations. Allowed Platini to pay two million euros.

According to Platini, he is considered one of the greatest footballers in history. He won the Golden Ball three times in a row between 1983 and 1985, and was President of the European Union between January 2007 and December 2015. He appealed the decision to ban him for eight years.