Governing Bodies
PLATINI WAS BLATTER’S ‘ACCOMPLICE’, SAY SWISS PROSECUTORS
Swiss prosecutors now view Michel Platini as an “accomplice” in the investigation of Sepp Blatter for an undocumented payment.
In a letter dated June 5, and signed by prosecutor Thomas Hildbrand, the federal prosecutor’s office (MPC) said Platini was now an “accused person” as an “accomplice of criminal mismanagement and misappropriation and acts of forgery”.
The Swiss judiciary opened criminal proceedings in September 2015 against Sepp Blatter over a payment of two million Swiss Francs made, without a paper trail, by Fifa in February 2011 to Platini for an advisory job completed in 2002.
The payment was made shortly after Blatter was re-elected Fifa president, a victory made easier after Platini, the president of European governing body Uefa, withdrew from the race.
The payment led to both men being suspended from football. Platini appealed, with little success, first to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, then to the Swiss Federal Court and finally to the European Court of Human Rights.
The former France captain has said repeatedly that he was not the target of legal proceedings. In a reaction sent to AFP he repeated his assertion that the MPC “confirmed in writing in May 2018 to my lawyer that this case, which dates from 2015, was closed as far as I am concerned.”
The prosecutor’s letter dismissed that claim.
“Despite frequent, incorrect and misleading protestations that he has been ‘cleared’ by the Swiss authorities, Platini is now the focus of renewed investigations into the payment to him.”
Platini told AFP that “after five years, it is quite possible that Fifa will continue to harass me through complaints with the sole aim of keeping me away from football and smearing my reputation.
The MPC also stated that “various hearings are planned at the MPC’s premises in Bern in the third quarter of 2020”.
Blatter said he had been summoned by Hildbrand “for questioning on Sept 1” and that Platini was scheduled to appear on Aug 31.
The MPC said it was appealing a decision by the Swiss attorney general to drop a separate investigation into Blatter over the handling of television contracts.
It also said it had expanded corruption investigations into two former Fifa secretary-generals under Blatter: Jerome Valcke and Markus Kattner.
-AFP
The president of the Confédération of African Football, Dr. Patrice Motsepe, has announced five new CAF Vice Presidents. They are:
- CAF First Vice President: Mr Fouzi Lekjaa (Morocco)
- CAF Second Vice President: Mr Kurt Okraku (Ghana)
- CAF Third Vice President: Mr Pierre-Alain Mounguengui (Gabon)
- CAF Fourth Vice President: Ms Bestine Kazadi Ditabala (Democratic Republic of Congo)
- CAF Fifth Vice President: Mr Feizal Sidat (Mozambique)
In addition, the CAF President has co-opted Yacine Idriss Diallo, President of Fédération Ivoirienne de football, into the CAF Executive Committee.
The CAF Executive Committee also approved the names to fill vacant positions on several CAF Committees.
Organising Committee for the African Nations Championship (CHAN)
- President: Pierre-Alain Mounguengui (Gabon)
CAF Technical and Development Committee
- President: Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)
- Vice President: Malouche Belhassen (Tunisia)
CAF Medical Committee:
- President: Dr. Mohammed Bouya (Mauritania)
- Vice President: Dr. Thulani Ngwenya (South Africa)
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Governing Bodies
Nigeria becoming an epicentre of global badminton as Francis Orbih enters the Badminton World Federation Council
Laurels on the courts and now glory in the boardroom sums up the mark that badminton is making in Nigeria.
The President, Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), Francis Orbih, has been elected as a council member of the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
The election took place during the BWF Annual General Meeting on Saturday in Xiamen, China.
Orbih emerged victorious over top contenders from other African countries.
He will join Cameroon’s Odette Assembe Engoulou on the council, while Chipo Zumburani (Zimbabwe) and Hadia ElSaid (Egypt) missed out.
An elated Orbih expressed his gratitude to fellow badminton presidents across the globe for their trust and support.
He said, “I am deeply honoured by the trust placed in me by my peers across the badminton world.
“I look forward to quality representation, driving development initiatives, and strengthening badminton’s global reach over the next four years.”
Orbih also acknowledged the support of the Federal Government of Nigeria, particularly the National Sports Commission (NSC), which he said played a significant role in his successful bid.
“The Chairman and the Director General of the NSC monitored the entire process. I’m grateful for their involvement and confident Nigeria will benefit from this,” he stated.
He further appreciated the BFN board members and the Nigerian badminton community for their prayers and continued belief in his leadership.
“From the day I declared my intentions, the board members of BFN have been supportive, and I promise not to disappoint them,” Orbih concluded.
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A former member of the FIFA Council, Mamoutou Toure, has been released from jail in Mali after almost two years in detention for alleged corruption, Malian media reports said on Wednesday.
Toure, president of the Malian Football Federation since 2019, was released after 622 days in prison on Tuesday.
He served on the FIFA Council, world football’s all-powerful decision-making body, for four years until last month when he lost his seat after failing to contest new elections.
The 67-year-old was arrested in August 2023 on allegations of embezzling $28 million of public funds but was granted a provisional release order by the Malian courts, reports said.
He was accused of misconduct during his time as the National Assembly’s financial and administrative director from 2013-2019.
Toure denied all charges and, during his time in jail, was last August re-elected as Malian Football Federation president for a second consecutive term, with his supporters claiming he was a victim of a conspiracy fuelled by detractors.
While in jail, he received a letter of support from FIFA president Gianni Infantino. However, as of last month, Toure is no longer a member of the FIFA Council or the Confederation of African Football’s executive committee.
-Reuters
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