A Swiss court surns a prosecutor investigating Infantino
A Swiss court announced today the dismissal of the public prosecutor who was investigating Janie Infantino, due to public statements that were "biased" against the president of the International Football Association (FIFA).
Stefan Keeler opened proceedings against Infantino last July over three informal meetings with the former head of the Swiss attorney general's office.
In March, an investigation began into the case of Infantino's use of a private jet paid for by FIFA.
Keeler had not yet begun formal procedures on the two issues.
The Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona said it had "accepted Janie Infantino's request to step down," in a decision made last Friday and published on its website today. The ruling focused on four press calls and a statement to a legal magazine by Keeler that the court said did not provide "objective, impartial and correct information in the public interest." "It was clear that not only was there just potential bias, but was in fact biased towards the person applying," the decision reads. In mid-December, Keeler reported "indications" that Infantino had been guilty of "unfair management" for using a private jet funded by the Sports Authority to travel between Suriname and Switzerland in 2017.
FIFA complained that "Stefan Keeler's method of accusation and defamation by publishing media statements without evidence and the assassination of the character is rejected in the strongest terms by FIFA and its president." However, the Swiss Federal Criminal Court has yet to consider the request for the “nullification of the proceedings that have been implemented so far”. Therefore, Infantino will continue to be investigated for "inciting the abuse of power", "violating official secrecy" and "obstructing criminal proceedings", pending the appointment of a new judge to take over the case. Keeler was appointed an "exceptional prosecutor" last July to investigate suspected collusion between FIFA and former Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber.
The investigations focused on three secret meetings held in 2016 and 2017 between Uber and Infantino.
Uber resigned last summer while the FIFA Ethics Committee acquitted Infantino, as the latter wanted to show Uber the major changes that have occurred in the FIFA since the departure of its "corrupt" predecessor Sepp Blatter.
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