FIFA president meets special prosecutors in Switzerland

FIFA President Gianni Infantino faces criminal proceedings opened in Switzerland in July 2020 over informal meetings in 2016 and 2017 with the former Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber. Keystone / Isaac Fontana

Gianni Infantino, president of world football's governing body FIFA, met special prosecutors in Switzerland on Tuesday as part of their criminal investigation into his undisclosed meetings with the country’s attorney general during a probe of football officials.

Special prosecutor Hans Maurer confirmed to the Associated Press that “a confrontation hearing was held in the proceedings”, conducted by himself and a second prosecutor, Ulrich Weder.

“However, I do not comment on the time, scope and purpose of this hearing,” Maurer told AP in an email.

Infantino remains under scrutiny from the Swiss authorities. He faces criminal proceedings opened in July 2020 over informal meetings with the former Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber. At the time, Lauber, who stepped down from his post, was investigating Zurich-based FIFA for irregularities in the awarding of the World Cup to Qatar.

Infantino reportedly met Lauber secretly several times. They have been accused of abuse of power and breach of official secrecy. The presumption of innocence applies. Both Lauber and Infantino have denied any wrongdoing.

The latest developments are a sign that the case potentially implicating Infantino is now moving forwards in Switzerland, weeks after he oversaw the World Cup in Qatar and about two months before he is due to be re-elected unopposed by FIFA member federations.

Maurer and Weder were elected by the Swiss parliament in December 2021 to continue the investigation relating to three undocumented meetings.

FIFA declined to comment on Tuesday on the questioning of its president. It has previously said that “both FIFA and the FIFA president are fully available to cooperate with the authorities, whether that concerns meetings that the FIFA president had with the former Attorney General of Switzerland, or anything else.”