Geneva (AFP)

Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, boss of the television group beIN Media and of the PSG, was indicted Thursday in a corruption case linked to the allocation of TV rights to the Football World Cup, even if Swiss justice no longer holds against him that " the instigation to unfair management ".

Prosecuted "in the context of the allocation of media rights to different Football World Cups and Confederations Cups", the Qatari leader has reached an amicable agreement with Fifa, which has therefore withdrawn its complaint of corruption against him, reports the office of the Swiss Attorney General (MPC).

For his part, former Fifa N.2 Jérôme Valcke has been charged in the same case for "passive corruption, multiple and qualified unfair management and false in the titles".

Al-Khelaïfi and a third man, active in the field of sports rights but whose name is not cited by Swiss justice, are accused of "instigating qualified unfair management" by the former secretary general of Fifa . The unnamed third man is also accused of "active bribery".

For Swiss lawyer Al-Khelaïfi, Grégoire Mangeat, contacted by AFP, "the most important thing is that all the accusations of private corruption relating to the granting of media rights have been dropped (against his client, editor's note. These accusations, disputed since the first day, were not solid ".

"I am satisfied that all corruption charges related to the 2026 and 2030 World Cups have been dropped," Al-Khelaïfi reacted in a statement. "Even if a technical and secondary accusation remains, I am sure that it will be proven that it is unfounded," added the boss of PSG.

- Villa in Sardinia -

"We are confident and will plead the full acquittal of our client," added Mr. Mangeat.

In another case handled by French justice, Nasser Al-Khelaïfi was indicted in May 2019 for "active corruption", in the investigation of suspicions of corruption on the sidelines of Doha's candidacies for the 2017 and 2019 Athletics Worlds .

According to the MPC, Jérôme Valcke, former right-hand man of Sepp Blatter, has, between 2013 and 2015, used his influence to orient "in favor of media partners of his preference the processes of allocation of media rights, for Italy and Greece, from different Football World Cups and FIFA Confederations Cups from 2018 to 2030 ".

The investigation, says the MPC, revealed that Mr. Valcke obtained improper benefits from the two co-defendants. The former number two of Fifa thus obtained, according to Swiss justice, the reimbursement of a deposit of approximately 500,000 euros which he had paid to third parties for a luxurious villa in Sardinia, this after the purchase of the villa by M. Al-Khelaïfi, via a company.

Mr. Valcke then obtained from Mr. Al-Khelaïfi the right of exclusive enjoyment of the villa for a period of 18 months in total without having paid for this a rent of an estimated value between approximately 900,000 and 1, 8 million euros.

Mr. Valcke, also suspended 10 years by Fifa for other acts of corruption, also received from the third man three payments with a total value of 1.25 million euros to his company Sportunited Sarl.

- Partial classification -

The MPC accuses Mr. Valcke of having "enriched himself illegally" and of not having communicated the "advantages" received to Fifa, "thus behaving in a manner contrary to his duties within the framework of his activity of secretary general".

These criminal proceedings had been opened in March 2017 in particular on the basis of a complaint by Fifa filed in December 2016 for private corruption against the three defendants. But the MPC also announced Thursday "the partial classification" of the procedure following "the partial withdrawal of the complaint of Fifa".

Fifa informed the MPC at the end of January 2020 to have found with Mr. Al-Khelaïfi "an amicable agreement" concerning the accusations of active and passive corruption between the Qatari leader and Valcke in connection with the Football World Cups 2026 and 2030, without that we have details on this agreement.

"The corruption of private persons being in this concrete case an offense prosecuted on complaint, the withdrawal of the criminal complaint has the consequence that a condition for the criminal prosecution of this offense is no longer fulfilled", specifies the MPC.

Requested by AFP, Fifa did not comment.

© 2020 AFP