Swiss Prosecutors Drop Sepp Blatter World Cup Corruption Case

Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter will have one less headache to worry about after federal Swiss prosecutors announced they will end investigations into his deals with the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) to sell World Cup broadcasting rights.

Blatter is currently serving a six-year ban from football-related activities over ethics violations and has been under investigation for selling TV rights for World Cup tournaments too cheaply.

The 84-year-old Swiss, who led FIFA for seventeen years until 2015, was accused of selling TV rights to the CFU for the 2010 and 2014 World Cups for $600,000, seen as far below the market value at the time.

The C.F.U. later sold the rights for close to $20 million.

Blatter will however not be prosecuted for the matter after the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) said it was seeking ways to end the case and that it has informed all the parties of its intention.

“We confirm the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland …considers the criminal investigation into the partial facts and allegations concerning the contractual relationship with the CFU to be complete and ready for conclusion,” the OAG said in a statement.

The OAG gave no reason for the decision.

The OAG, however, clarified that the decision will not affect a second criminal case against Blatter in which is accused of having arranged a payment of two million Swiss francs ($2.06 million) to the then UEFA President Michel Platini in February 2011.

Blatter and Platini have maintained they did nothing wrong amid what became part of the biggest corruption scandal to shake world football’s ruling body, resulting in numerous prosecutions and convictions in the United States.