Swiss justice has rejected three requests for the recusal of Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, boss of the television group beIN Media and of the PSG, accused in a corruption case linked to the allocation of TV rights to the World Cup. In a decision published Wednesday by the Federal Criminal Court, the Court of Complaints indicates having rejected the requests for recusal filed by Nasser Al-Khelaïfi against two federal prosecutors and an assistant federal prosecutor.
"The request for recusal is rejected," concluded the Court of Complaints in a judgment delivered on March 24. This judgment explains that Nasser Al-Khelaïfi asked for the recusal of the three members of the Public Prosecutor's Office of the Confederation (MPC, federal prosecutor's office), arguing in particular that “the hearing of December 6, 2019 would not have left him enough time to address all the points he wanted. "
Corruption: Jérôme Valcke is said to have discovered a 20,000-euro watch "under his pillow" during a trip to Qatar https://t.co/FvF6pgPbuW pic.twitter.com/m5fpo79596
- 20 Minutes Sport (@ 20minutesSport) November 9, 2017He also criticizes the Federal Prosecutor's Office for "not having appointed an independent and neutral judicial expert concerning competition in the market for the rights concerned by the criminal proceedings" and considers that "the defense evidence offered spontaneously by the defense n 'would not have been taken into account'.
The Court of Complaints dismissed these accusations, assuring in particular that "both the applicant and his lawyer have had the opportunity to speak on the facts and the allegations made".
Amicable agreement with Fifa
Nasser Al-Khelaïfi is being prosecuted by the federal prosecution "in the context of the allocation of media rights to different World Cups of football and Confederations Cups". The Qatari leader, however, has reached an amicable agreement with Fifa, which has therefore withdrawn its corruption complaint against him. Former FIFA number 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 Swiss justice does not give the name, are them accused of "instigation to the qualified unfair management committed" by the former secretary general of Fifa. This unnamed third man is also accused of "active bribery".
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 ”. According to the MPC, Jérôme Valcke obtained undue advantages from the two co-defendants.
Sport
Coronavirus: "Stop selfish behavior" ... Al-Khelaïfi delivers his vision of crisis management
- Sport
- Corruption
- Soccer
- BeIN Sport
- Nasser Al-Khelaïfi
- PSG
- world Cup