Blatter Faces 90 Days Ban

 FIFA  No Responses »
Oct 082015
 

It doesn’t yet seem all over for Sepp Blatter, 79 year old FIFA president. Not too long ago, criminal charges were brought against him by the office of the Swiss Attorney General. Now, in addition to that, Blatter faces the risk of going on a 90 days ban from his FIFA presidency.

Blatter’s ban was recommended against him by the FIFA ethics committee. The reason for the ban was due to the criminal allegation brought against him by the Swiss Attorney General.

The allegations claim that Blatter had acted contrary to FIFA’s interest in a deal signed in 2005 granting TV rights to the Caribbean football agency, then headed by Jack Warner. The second allegation has to do with an accusation of a disloyal payment from Blatter to UEFA president and FIFA presidential hopeful, Michel Plattini.

Blatter has come out to deny all allegations. He also released a statement claiming that he hasn’t been contacted by the FIFA ethics committee in order to defend himself. The 90 day ban could be given in a decision on Thursday by Hans Joachim Eckert, the head of FIFA’s adjudicatory arm.

Michel Plattini also faces the risk of similar ban due to his receipt of the disloyal payment. Plattini defends himself by claiming that the payment was a valid one for work which was done by Plattini for Blatter over the years. If Plattini is given the ban it would seriously hamper his FIFA presidential bid.

Blatter, who won the his fifth tenure as FIFA president in May 29 decided to step down due to allegations of corruption against FIFA. He is planning to step down on 26 February but it seems that his handing over might be rocky.

Criminal Charges Brought Against Blatter

 FIFA  No Responses »
Sep 252015
 

There has been a new twist in the scandal that rocked the football world in May. The Swiss Attorney General, Michael Lauber, has come out to indict Joseph Blatter, outgoing FIFA president, of criminal charges.

Blatter was accused by the Swiss Attorney General’s office of signing a contract in 2005 with the Caribbean football Association, then headed by Jack Warner. The contract is said to be a breach of fiduciary duties by the FIFA president.

This is due to the fact that the contract was one in which TV rights were sold to the Caribbean football association below the Market value.

The FIFA president is also charged with disloyally transferring to UEFA president Plattini, who is a FIFA presidential hopeful, the sum of 2 million swiss francs at the expense of FIFA. The funds were alleged to be for work done between the period of January 1999 and June 2002. The payment of the funds was in February 2011.

FIFA president, Joseph Blatter has since the whole saga started in May, avoided travelling to countries that have an extradition treaty with the United States Of America.

The investigation into the payment between Blatter and Warner is an offshoot of the investigation into the award of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups by FIFA.

All this started in May when 7 FIFA executives were arrested at the lobby of the Baur au Lac hotel. This came as US prosecutors accused them along with 7 other FIFA officials of money laundering, racketeering and fraud. Of the 14 indicted, 13 have been arrested. 3 have been charged in US courtrooms while 10 are awaiting extradition.