In compiling evidence for its criminal investigation involving Sepp Blatter, FIFA's former president, Switzerland's Attorney General sought help from France. The French obliged and began searching the nation's soccer federation office this week for evidence the Swiss can use to build a case against Blatter.
The Swiss AG is investigating a $2 million payment Blatter allegedly made to Michel Platini, the former president of Europe's soccer administrative body, UEFA. It is not clear what forms of misconduct investigators are looking for, but the investigation is just one of many looking into years of corruption within FIFA during Blatter's tenure.
Blatter and Platini are both banned from FIFA for six years due to an internal investigation from the organization's ethics committee. They maintain that the $2 million payment, made in 2011, was Blatter fulfilling a verbal agreement for Platini's service to him as an adviser from 1999 to 2000.
In the wake of Blatter's resignation as FIFA's president, Platini announced he would run for the position, but was barred from doing so by the ethics committee's ruling. Gianni Infantino, a Swiss and Italian lawyer, won the election.
During Platini's time working for Blatter, he and two other FIFA employees utilized the office of the French soccer federation. Switzerland confirmed on Wednesday the search was conducted the previous day and that evidence was indeed taken.
On Tuesday, a Colombian soccer consultant based in Florida pleaded guilty to two conspiracy charges: money laundering and wire fraud. Miguel Trujillo admitted to paying bribes to FIFA and several soccer federations in order to secure exhibition matches, TV broadcast deals and marketing contracts.
He is one of 42 defendants in the U.S.'s FIFA corruption investigation. 15 people in that case have pleaded guilty and are currently awaiting sentencing, including Chuck Blazer, a former FIFA official.
Blatter was also implicated in a German investigation for alleged vote buying. Though investigators could not conclude Germany bought votes to secure its bid to host the 2006 World Cup, they did find evidence of bribery and could not determine where a suspect payment of 6.7 million euros went.
Though the U.S.'s investigation has been the one to grab the most headlines, the Swiss government has played a big role, as their country is home to FIFA headquarters. As it did by enlisting France's help in gathering evidence, the Swiss have been keen to keep their probe in the spotlight as well.
