Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has vehemently denied fraud allegations as he appeared in a Swiss appeals court, seeking to overturn a prosecutor’s challenge to his 2022 acquittal.
The 88-year-old, alongside former UEFA president Michel Platini, faces scrutiny over a 2 million Swiss franc ($NZ3.94 million) payment made to Platini in 2011.
The Swiss federal prosecutor has appealed the lower court’s decision, arguing that Blatter and Platini deceived FIFA staff regarding the legitimacy of the payment.
The indictment alleges that the pair falsely claimed the funds were owed for advisory work carried out by Platini between 1998 and 2002.
“When you talk about falsehoods, lies and deception, that’s not me. That didn’t exist in my whole life,” Blatter told the court, asserting his innocence. “We had principles in my family – we take only money we have earned.”
The prosecution is seeking a 20-month suspended sentence for both Blatter and Platini, the former French football star.
This latest hearing comes after a seven-year investigation into the controversial payment, which derailed Platini’s aspirations to succeed Blatter as FIFA president.
In 2022, a lower Swiss court acquitted the pair, accepting their explanation of a “gentlemen’s agreement” for the payment.
The judge also expressed serious doubts about the prosecution’s claims of fraud. However, the federal prosecutor remains adamant that the payment was made under false pretenses.
Blatter, who led FIFA for 17 years until his resignation in 2015 amidst separate corruption allegations, described the proceedings as a “witch hunt.”
“I am very positive,” he stated to reporters outside the court, appearing frail but determined. “Today is a very sunny day and I’m going into this with positive energy.”
Platini, through his lawyer Dominic Nellen, also maintained his innocence, asserting that the lower court’s decision was correct.
“The court of first instance was right to find that the disputed payment of 2 million francs was lawful,” Nellen said.
Platini told the court that he had a verbal contract with Blatter to work as an advisor between 1998 and 2002. He explained that he was not paid immediately due to FIFA’s financial constraints at the time. “I knew that FIFA would pay me what it owed sooner or later,” Platini stated.
“When FIFA asked me to make an invoice, for me it was simple. It was 500,000 multiplied by 4 years, that’s 2 million. I made an invoice and ten days later I was remunerated, and I paid my taxes on it.”
The case has cast a long shadow over both Blatter and Platini’s careers. Both were suspended from football activities by FIFA in 2015 for ethics breaches, initially for eight years, although the bans were later reduced.
The appeals court hearing is expected to conclude with a verdict on March 25. The outcome will determine whether the 2022 acquittal is upheld or if Blatter and Platini face a suspended sentence, potentially marking a final chapter in this prolonged legal saga.
