Swiss Authorities Seize Evidence At Fff In Case Against Sepp Blatter

Source: thewillnigeria.com

Swiss authorities say evidence has been seized in a search at the French Football Federation headquarters for their criminal case against former FIFA president Sepp Blatter.

The office of Switzerland’s attorney general says the governing body for French soccer consented to the search carried out on Tuesday with the cooperation of the French Financial Prosecution Office.

Criminal proceedings were opened against Blatter last September for suspected financial mismanagement over a £1.3m payment he approved from FIFA funds for Michel Platini in 2011.

The Swiss attorney general’s office says “documents were seized in connection with the suspected payment.”

In a statement, Platini’s lawyers said: “We have learned through the press about the operation that was carried out yesterday at the headquarters of the French Football Federation at the request of the Swiss authorities and within the framework of judicial cooperation between France and Switzerland.

“We were not informed in advance about this and we do not know about the specifics of the operation. We welcome this new step because as soon as the Swiss authorities have completed their investigation, the quicker Michel Platini’s name will be cleared.”

Blatter and Platini were banned from soccer for six years after an investigation by FIFA’s ethics committee. They deny wrongdoing and are appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

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