The criminal proceedings opened following secret meetings between the boss of Fifa, Gianni Infantino, and Michael Lauber, who then headed the federal prosecutor’s office, will be closed, confirmed the former magistrate on German-speaking radio SRF. “I take note of this announcement, I am relieved,” he said after information from Tages-Anzeiger.
According to the Swiss daily, the proceedings against Gianni Infantino, targeted since July 2020 for “incitement to abuse of authority”, “violation of official secrecy” and “obstructing criminal action” for these same meetings, is also about to be closed. The two extraordinary prosecutors appointed in this case which forced Michael Lauber to resign in 2020 communicated this decision to the parties to the procedure.
Questioned by AFP, the two special prosecutors did not respond immediately. “There is no evidence of criminal activity,” write the extraordinary federal prosecutors in a note obtained by the Tages-Anzeiger. Michael Lauber was suspected of abuse of authority, violation of official secrecy and favouritism.
Justice accused him of secret meetings between July 2015 and June 2017 with the president of Fifa and other representatives of the international federation while an investigation was opened into the conditions under which Qatar had won the organization of the Cup. of the world 2022.
These meetings – revealed in 2018 by the “Football leaks” – have fueled suspicions of collusion between the prosecution and Fifa. For its part, the internal justice of Fifa had decided to close the case in August 2020 due to “the obvious absence of evidence concerning any alleged violation of the code of ethics”. Gianni Infantino, in office since 2016, was re-elected in March for four years at the head of the organization which manages world football.
Michael Lauber resigned from his post as Attorney General of the Confederation in August 2020, after criticism from the Federal Criminal Court, among other things on his management of the office in the context of procedures concerning football. The judicial commission of the Parliament had opened a dismissal procedure, before Mr. Lauber submitted his resignation.
