Criminal case opened against FIFA president Gianni Infantino
GENEVA ( AP) — A criminal case against FIFA president Gianni Infantino was opened by a Swiss special prosecutor on Thursday, plunging the soccer body into a new scandal and potentially threatening the tenure of the man who was brought in to restore its tarnished reputation.
FIFA said it and Infantino will cooperate with Swiss authorities after prosecuto Stefan Keller — barely a month into the job — concluded there is enough evidence to go to court after investigating the circumstances of a meeting Infantino had with Swiss attorney general Michael Lauber.
The turmoil involving Lauber, who offered his resignation last week, centers on three meetings he had with Infantino in recent years — including one that he hadn’t disclosed and claimed no memory of — just as he was leading a sprawling investigation into soccer corruption.
Keller, a regional court judge, uncovered “elements that make up reprehensible behavior,” an oversight panel monitoring federal prosecutors said in a statement. He opened a case against Infantino and regional prosecutor Rinaldo Arnold, a childhood friend of the FIFA boss, and sought authorization to open a case against Lauber.
Keller, who was named to the post of special prosecutor on June 29, found possible infractions included abuse of public office, breach of official secrecy, “assisting offenders” and “incitement to these acts,” the panel said, adding other criminal acts and proceedings could also be considered. Under the Swiss criminal code, conviction for abuse of public office can bring penalties of up to five years in prison or other detention, while breach of official secrecy and assisting offenders can incur up to three years each. Each charge can also bring financial penalties.
Suspects in such cases benefit from a presumption of innocence in Switzerland until legal proceedings are completed. It was unclear whether Keller believes the alleged wrongdoing was the mere fact that Lauber and Infantino had met, or if compromising information was divulged during their conversations.
FIFA said it “acknowledges” Keller’s decision, and vowed it and Infantino “will, as we have always done, cooperate fully with this investigation.” It also highlighted past troubles at soccer’s governing body before Infantino took office, and said meetings with prosecutors were necessary.