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World Cup process burst - Swiss judiciary and FIFA under pressure

2020-04-28T11:53:36.752Z


The summer fairy tale process has burst. The entanglements of Gianni Infantino become a political issue in Switzerland. The world association is reacting unusually sharply.


The summer fairy tale process has burst. The entanglements of Gianni Infantino become a political issue in Switzerland. The world association is reacting unusually sharply.

Berlin (dpa) - The silent end of the summer fairy tale process became a side note. After recent media reports on the close involvement of FIFA President Gianni Infantino in the Swiss judiciary, the world football association is under considerable pressure at its headquarters.

"We, the Banana Republic," wrote several Swiss newspapers about the mistakes of the investigators and the secret meetings between Infantino and Federal Attorney Michael Lauber. FIFA reacted unusually angry - and with a lot of pathos.

"Not for FIFA, for Switzerland", the whole affair would be difficult, should it turn out that you could "steal tens of millions" with impunity. "Let us focus on punishing the criminals without engaging in local political disputes between some MPs, the media and / or prosecutors," appealed the World Association.

Among other things, the news magazine "Der Spiegel" had reported that Infantino tried to influence the investigation. Specifically, the investigations concerned a UEFA TV contract with South American rights dealers that Infantino had signed while he was with the European Football Union. According to FIFA, the contract was legally sound.

In an email to a friend from high-ranking judicial circles, Infantino is said to have written before a scheduled meeting with Lauber in 2016: "I will try to explain it to the federal prosecutor, since it is in my interest that everything goes as quickly as possible possible to clarify that it says clearly that I have nothing to do with it. " The Swiss "Tagesanzeiger" writes that it was proven by the email "that world football boss Infantino wanted to wash away in a meeting with Lauber".

The meetings are now guaranteed by a disciplinary procedure by the supervisory authority over the federal prosecutor. According to the result, Lauber "violated his duties in various ways and in some cases significantly. According to Swiss media, politicians are considering the possibility of impeachment.

"In fact, Mr. Infantino was neither the subject of an investigation nor was he being tried at that time or later, so he never had to" cleanse his name, "said FIFA, and the email was" apparently through hacking "public become "what is an illegal and criminal act. Such emails are not only hacked, but can also be easily manipulated. "Der Spiegel" reported that it had received information about the Football Leaks disclosure platform.

The announcement at the end of the summer fairy tale process, among other things, against several former officials of the German Football Association was announced for Tuesday afternoon. The process, which was started late, had been interrupted several times due to the coronavirus pandemic - until the statute of limitations came on Monday. However, the Federal Prosecutor's Office's investigation into the ominous 6.7 million euros had revealed little to illuminate anyway. The former DFB presidents Theo Zwanziger and Wolfgang Niersbach, the former DFB general secretary Horst R. Schmidt and the Swiss Urs Linsi, formerly FIFA general secretary, were charged with the charges.

"The summer fairy tale debacle is not only scratching the image of the Swiss judiciary abroad. It will also be expensive for Swiss taxpayers," wrote the tabloid "Blick". The "Tagesanzeiger" said: "The prestigious summer fairy tale process definitely ends in disaster."

It is still open whether the payments from 2002 and 2005, in which the World Cup organization chief Franz Beckenbauer was significantly involved, will be taken up again by the Frankfurt Regional Court on suspicion of tax evasion. The court is examining the effects of the outcome of the proceedings in Switzerland, it said on Tuesday.

World association FIFA

Federal Criminal Court

Source: merkur

All sports articles on 2020-04-28

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