On Thursday, 30th July 2020 a Criminal case was opened against FIFA President Gianni Infantino by a Swiss special prosecutor, plunging world soccers governing body in a new scandal.
Stefan Killer the Special Prosecutor said that there is enough evidence to take the matter to the court after investigating the circumstances of a meeting Infantino had with Swiss attorney general Michael Lauber, who offered his resignation last week.
According to the Swiss authority overseeing the federal prosecutors office Keller has uncovered elements that make up reprehensible behavior.
According to a statement from the Swiss authority, Keller has filed a criminal case against Infantino, Valasi prosecutor Rinaldo Arnold, and sought authorization to open a legal case against Lauber.
On 29th June 2020, Keller was named to the post of a special prosecutor who found possible infractions included abuse of Public office, breach of official secretary, assisting offenders and incitement to these acts, the supervisory authority for the office of the attorney general said in its statement, adding other criminal acts and proceedings could also be considered.
Suspects in such cases benefit from a presumption of innocence in Switzerland until legal proceedings are completed.
FIFA declined to comment on this, but Infantino said the whole thing is quite absurd.
The FIFA President on 25th June 2020 during a news conference held online that To meet the head prosecutor or attorney general of Switzerland is perfectly legitimate and its perfectly legal.
On Friday, 31st July 2020 Lauber offered for resignation just minutes before a federal court upheld allegations that he lied about a meeting he had with Infantino during a sprawling investigation into soccer corruption. It came in response to Laubers appeal against being disciplined in March for misconduct.
The internal disciplinary case against Lauber focused on a meeting he had with Infantino in June 2017 at a hotel Bern, to which the prosecutor took no notes. They later said they could not recall their discussion at what was their meeting in a 15-month period.
Infantino gained the FIFA presidency in the fallout from the investigation in 2015. FIFA President Sepp Blatter, who had already announced plans to resign in the wake-up arrests of dozens of soccer officials, was banned from the football world.
Michael Platini, to succeed Blatter and later President of UEFA was also suspended, which ended his chances of leading FIFA.
Infantino who led UEFA administration as General Secretary saw a route to lead FIFA. The Swiss Italian was elected in 2016, beating Asian Football Confederation President Sheikh Salman.
The Bahraini is in line for the President after Infantino if he is suspended due to the criminal case.
