Sepp Blatter is Blattered by the Swiss as criminal proceedings open.

Not a good day to be Joseph ‘Sepp’ Blatter, it seems. The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland has opened criminal proceedings against the President of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (aka FIFA) on suspicion of criminal mismanagement as well as – alternatively – on suspicion of misappropriation.

Swiss criminal proceedings against the President of FIFA, Mr. Joseph Blatter, opened today, 24th September 2015 on suspicion of criminal mismanagement and – alternatively – misappropriation.

The Office of the Attorney General said it suspects that on 12th September 2005, Blatter signed a contract with the Caribbean Football Union (with Jack Warner as the President at this time); this contract being judged unfavourable for FIFA. On the other hand, there is as suspicion that, in the implementation of this agreement, Joseph Blatter also violated his fiduciary duties and acted against the interest of FIFA.

Additionally, Mr. Joseph Blatter is suspected of a disloyal payment of CHF 2 Mio. to Michel Platini, President of Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), at the expense of FIFA, which was allegedly made for work performed between January 1999 and June 2002 ; this payment was executed in February 2011.

On 25 September 2015, representatives of the OAG interrogated the defendant Joseph Blatter following a meeting of the FIFA Executive Committee. At the same time, Michel Platini was heard as a person asked to provide information (Article 178 of the Swiss Code of Criminal Procedure). Furthermore, the OAG conducted on 25 September 2015 a house search at FIFA Headquarters with the support of the Federal Criminal Police. The office of the FIFA President has been searched and data seized.

As for all defendants, the presumption of innocence applies for Mr. Joseph Blatter.