The prosecutor Thomas Hildbrand did not claim a firm prison sentence against the 66-year-old former French player and the 86-year-old Swiss player.
For more than four and a half hours, he dedicated himself to dismantling the thesis of an “oral contract” closed between the two men for a consultancy job carried out by Platinum between 1998 and 2002.
Blatterformer president of the FIFAY Platinum signed a written agreement in August 1999, which stipulated 300,000 Swiss francs annually paid by the FIFA. But they claimed to have agreed to the payment of 700,000 Swiss francs more annually when the finances of the organization allow it.
Platinumbecome while president of the UEFAand placed in an advantageous position to become president of the FIFAsubmitted an invoice 2 million Swiss francs (1.8 million euros) at the beginning of 2011, signed by sepp blatter and presented to the FIFA as unpaid wages.
Agreeing on these sums without leaving a written trace, without witnesses and without ever provisioning them in the accounts is “contrary to commercial uses” and to the customs of the FIFAinsisted Thomas Hildbrand.
“Only his behavior counts from the point of view of criminal law”recalled the prosecutor, leaving aside any political dimension of the case.
This despite the fact that the dossier was not uncovered until 2015 and propelled it to the forefront of the FIFA a Giani Infantinoright arm of michel platini on the UEFAwho has been the subject of a different procedure since 2020 for three secret meetings with the prosecution.
“When a chameleon feels threatened it changes colour: Blatter does the same”He launched Thomas Hildbrandfor which “there is no reason why FIFA” I would have had to defer the payment.
And as an added inconsistency in the opinion of the prosecution, Platinum ended up claiming at the beginning of 2011 500,000 francs annually for this period, instead of the 700,000explaining ‘a posteriori’ not having verified the amount that had been paid initially.
“Is it that only at the time of the invoice to FIFA would he have lost his mathematical abilities?”wondered the magistrate, remembering that Platinum easily passed a “calculus test” during his interrogation.
Started last Wednesday, the process should continue until June 22, with the allegations of the FIFA -civil part- and defenses.
Source: Ambito
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