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The head of the Swiss prosecution, Michael Lauber, blamed for his handling of the resounding corruption scandal known as “Fifagate”, resigned Friday July 24 after months of twists and turns.
Michael Lauber, suspected of collusion with the president of the International Federation of Association Football (Fifa), Gianni Infantino, following a series of informal meetings with the latter, declared to present his resignation “ in the interest of institutions ».
The Swiss Attorney General was excluded last year from the investigation into the corruption scandal to Fifa, because of his undeclared contacts revealed by the media with the president of the organization.
Michael Lauber was also sanctioned, with a salary cut of 8% for one year, by the Swiss Public Prosecutor’s Supervisory Authority (AS-MPC) for lying and ” hampered »The disciplinary investigation which targeted him.
At the heart of the case is the revelation of three meetings between Michael Lauber and the boss of Fifa, Gianni Infantino, all kept secret, while the Attorney General is supposed to keep at least a record of these exchanges. In one case, he even claims that he does not remember having met Gianni Infantino with other officials.
« A rare case of collective amnesia that is an aberration “, Notes the Federal Administrative Court, in language of rare violence against a magistrate, reports our correspondent in Geneva, Jeremiah Lanche.
Damage to the reputation of the prosecution
His resignation follows a decision of the Federal Administrative Court (TAF) that Michael Lauber himself had seized to denounce the sanction against him. In a statement, the TAF said on Friday July 24 that it was confirming ” essentially the breaches of the duties of the Attorney General, in particular with regard to the third meeting with the president of Fifa, also considered by the court as a serious violation of the duties of office ».
The TAF also emphasizes having come to the conclusion that the Attorney General “ damaged reputation From the Federal Prosecutor’s Office. Michael Lauber lied, says the TAF, which believes that the Attorney General is ” neither conscious nor convinced Of the illegality of his actions. However, he reduced the pay cut from 8% to 5%.
« I respect the decision of the Federal Administrative Court. However, I continue to firmly reject the accusation of lying Michael Lauber said in his resignation statement. Already under the blow of a procedure of dismissal by the Parliament, Michael Lauber will have done everything to hang on to his post, helping to accredit the image of a Swiss justice incapable of tackling the corruption in the arcana of the world football.
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