Sepp Blatter, Platini indicted for fraud in Switzerland

By GRAHAM DUNBAR
AP Sports Writer

GENEVA (AP) — Former FIFA officials Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini have been charged with fraud and other offenses by Swiss prosecutors after a six-year investigation into a controversial $2 million payment. The 85-year-old Blatter and 66-year-old Platini now face a trial within months at federal criminal court in Bellinzona. Swiss federal prosecutors say “this payment damaged FIFA’s assets and unlawfully enriched Platini.” Platini requested the money from FIFA in January 2011 as additional salary for working as Blatter’s presidential adviser from 1998-2002. Blatter and Platini have long denied wrongdoing. They cite a verbal agreement they had more than 20 years ago.