Criminal case opened against Fifa president

Criminal proceedings against Fifa president Gianni Infantino have begun in Switzerland over meetings he held with the country’s attorney general.

A special federal public prosecutor, Stefan Keller, was appointed last month to examine complaints made about the meetings in 2016 and 2017 involving Infantino, attorney general Michael Lauber and the chief public prosecutor for the Upper Valais region, Rinaldo Arnold.

Keller has now opened criminal proceedings against Infantino and Arnold, and has sought approval from the Swiss parliament to do the same against Lauber, who must have immunity from prosecution lifted before any proceedings.

He has concluded that “there are indications of criminal conduct” in relation to the meetings.

Infantino and Fifa say they will co-operate fully with the investigation, with Infantino insisting he was trying to assist Lauber with the attorney general’s investigation into historic corruption.

The Fifa president was asked about the meetings with Lauber at the world governing body’s Council meeting in June, and said: “To meet with the Attorney General of Switzerland is perfectly legitimate and it’s perfectly legal. It’s no violation of anything. On the contrary, it is also part of the fiduciary duties of the president of Fifa.”

The first meetings with Lauber occurred in 2016, just after Infantino had been elected president in the aftermath of the corruption scandal which hit Fifa under Infantino’s predecessor Sepp Blatter.

Lauber’s office was investigating that scandal.

A statement from the supervisory authority for the office of the attorney general said the meetings had generated concerns of abuse of public office, breach of official secrecy, assisting offenders and incitement to these acts.