Fifa files criminal complaint against Blatter

LAUSANNE • World football governing body Fifa has filed a criminal complaint with Zurich's cantonal prosecutor, claiming evidence of "criminal mismanagement" of a museum project set up by former president Sepp Blatter.

Fifa said its complaint "identified the direct involvement of former Fifa president Blatter together with other persons" in the agreements made for the museum, which is in central Zurich.

A statement read: "The complaint includes the entire project costs at 500 million Swiss francs (S$753 million), and identifies that the previous Fifa administration poured 140 million Swiss francs into renovating and refurbishing a building that the organisation doesn't own.

"While also locking itself into a long-term rental agreement on unfavourable terms when compared to standard market rates, which, in total, will cost Fifa 360 million Swiss francs by the date of expiration in 2045. That is half a billion Swiss francs that could and should have been channelled into the development of global football."

Lorenz Erni, Blatter's lawyer, said in response: "The accusations are baseless and are vehemently repudiated."

Blatter, 84, was suspended and later banned by Fifa's ethics committee after the Swiss became the subject of criminal proceedings in Switzerland in 2015.

Fifa deputy secretary-general Alasdair Bell said that a "forensic audit" had been undertaken into the project.

"That audit revealed a wide range of suspicious circumstances and management failures, some of which may be criminal in nature and which therefore need to be properly investigated," he added.

Fifa said it also plans to submit all relevant documentation to its own ethics committee.

Current Fifa president Gianni Infantino is himself facing criminal proceedings by a special prosecutor looking into dealings the Swiss-Italian had with former Swiss attorney-general Michael Lauber.

The pair have denied any wrongdoing, but earlier this month, special prosecutor Stefan Keller said he had asked Swiss authorities to investigate Infantino's use of private air travel. Fifa, in response, claimed it would "take all necessary legal steps and remedies to put an end to these baseless and ill-intentioned accusations".

REUTERS