Appeal temporarily suspended
Reprieve for Blatter and Platini
The Appeals Chamber of the Federal Criminal Court has temporarily stayed the appeal against Joseph Blatter and Michel Platini for fraud. The reason for this is a request for recusal against the entire jury. A new panel of judges must now decide.
Published: 8 minutes ago
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Updated: 6 minutes ago
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Acquittal across the board: Ex-Fifa President Joseph Blatter celebrated his victory before the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona last summer.
As long as the question of recusal has not been clarified, there is no point in continuing the proceedings, writes the Appeals Chamber in a decision published on Monday, which was made on December 12, 2022.
If the proceedings were continued, this could lead to certain actions having to be repeated later, which speaks against procedural economy.
In the present case, the President of the Federal Criminal Court had to appoint extraordinary judges to deal with the request for recusal in accordance with a legally prescribed procedure.
It is Roland Hofmann, President of the Cantonal Court of Basel-Landschaft. He will serve as chairman. He is assisted by Marc Siegwart, President of the Higher Court of Zug, and Thomas Flückiger, President of the Higher Court of the Canton of Solothurn.
If this body decides that the judges of the Appeals Chamber must stand down, it will itself have to decide on the appeal. The Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office had filed this and subsequently Fifa as well.
Platini and Blatter were acquitted of fraud charges by the criminal division of the Federal Criminal Court last summer. It was about a payment of 2 million Swiss francs, which flowed at the behest of Blatter. (SDA)