FIFA President Gianni Infantinos: Swiss prosecutors announced the closure of criminal proceedings against FIFA President Gianni Infantino in connection with his interactions with former Swiss attorney general Michael Lauber. Infantino hailed this decision as a validation of the “new FIFA” and his commitment to cleaning up the organization.
Infantino assumed the role of FIFA President in 2016 with a mandate to address the corruption scandals that had tarnished the image of the world soccer body. In 2020, Swiss authorities initiated proceedings against him, alleging secrecy violations, abuse of office, and aiding and abetting related to meetings with Lauber.
The conclusion of these proceedings came with the declaration that investigations had “invalidated” these suspicions. Swiss-Italian Infantino, who consistently denied any wrongdoing, expressed his satisfaction, characterizing the decision as “a full and clear victory for me, for the new FIFA, and for justice.” He emphasized that he had consistently acted in a lawful and ethical manner, always prioritizing the interests of FIFA and football.
The Swiss authorities had been looking into contacts between Infantino and Lauber, who resigned as Swiss attorney general after it was revealed that he had concealed a meeting with the FIFA President and provided false information to his superiors during investigations into corruption within the football body.
Prosecutors affirmed that their investigation found no evidence of Infantino “instrumentalizing” the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland in any unusual, inexplicable, erroneous, or criminal activities or omissions.
FIFA, in response to the closure of proceedings, expressed “extreme satisfaction” with the outcome.
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