Almost three months ago, Michel Platini, 67, and Sepp Blatter, 86, appeared for two weeks on the charge of having “illegally obtained, at the expense of Fifa, a payment of 2 million francs (1.8 M€ at the time) in favor of Michel Platini”. A payment made to Platini by the ex-president of Fifa, at the beginning of 2011, for work as an “advisor” of Lorrain, carried out between 1998 and 2002. The Public Ministry of the Swiss Confederation (MPC, prosecution) had requested a sentence a one-year and eight-month suspended prison sentence and a two-year probation period against Platini and Blatter. Finally acquitted at first instance on July 8 by the Federal Criminal Court (TPF) of Bellinzona (Switzerland), the former president of UEFA and that of Fifa learned this Thursday of the reasoned judgment of the Federal Criminal Court (TPF ) in their business.
In its 99-page judgment, the TPF explains, in its conclusions, that the activity of “advisor” of Michel Platini was defined “both by a written contract of August 25, 1999 and – contrary to the subject of the accusation – by oral agreement”. “Both the 2 million Swiss francs paid to Platini (early 2011) and the social security contributions amounting to 229,126 Swiss francs (€239,470) paid in his favor were due by Fifa, continue the Swiss judges of the Court of Criminal Affairs, so that the defendants did not act in particular for the purpose of unlawful enrichment and that the invoice signed by the defendants is not false. »
149,300 euros in compensation for Platini
At the time of the acquittal on July 8, the TPF had considered that the fraud was “not established with a likelihood bordering on certainty”, applying the general principle of criminal law according to which “doubt must benefit the accused”. . The Swiss public prosecutor’s office, which filed an appeal in July to contest this acquittal, has twenty days, after receipt of the notification of the judgment, to confirm (or not) its desire to appeal.
Michel Platini is also awarded 142,893 Swiss francs (€149,300) as compensation for his legal fees. Asked by the newspaper L’Équipe, the entourage of Michel Platini declared that the former number 10 of the Blues has “nothing to add to this reasoned judgment, which he considers to be very clear”. Also contacted, Fifa’s lawyer in this case, Me Catherine Hohl-Chirazi, explains that “the world body has just received the reasoned written judgment of the Criminal Court and that it is currently analyzing it”.