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Swiss pursue Fifa's Valcke as salaries finally revealed

AFP/The Local
AFP/The Local - [email protected]
Swiss pursue Fifa's Valcke as salaries finally revealed
Jerome Valcke and Sepp Blatter. Photo: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP

Switzerland has opened a criminal investigation targeting Fifa's ex-secretary general Jerome Valcke, who was Sepp Blatter's right-hand man before he was fired from the organization over corruption, Swiss prosecutors said on Thursday.

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"As part of the ongoing series of cases relating to Fifa, the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) is conducting criminal proceedings against the former Fifa secretary general Jerome Valcke on suspicion of various acts of criminal mismanagement," the Swiss attorney general's office said in a statement sent to AFP.
   
The OAG "began investigations" including "searches and interviews" in connection with the Valcke case on March 17th, the statement said.
   
The criminal probe was opened in response to two specific criminal complaints made against the Frenchman during an investigation into his Fifa tenure carried out by world football's ethics committee.
   
Fifa's probe resulted in Valcke's 12-year ban from football last month for misconduct ranging from helping a World Cup ticket scam to fixing a television deal and destroying evidence.
   
The Swiss attorney general opened a criminal case targeting Blatter in September into alleged criminal mismanagement during his Fifa presidency and a potential "disloyal" payment Blatter authorised to Michel Platini in 2011.
   
Blatter was formally replaced as Fifa's boss by Gianni Infantino at congress last month.

The news comes as Fifa finaly revealed the fallen world football leader's salary for the first time.

Blatter, who had always resisted publishing his earnings during his 17 years in charge, earned 3.6 million Swiss francs ($3.7 million) in 2015, Fifa said on Thursday.
   
Meanwhile Valcke earned 2.1 million Swiss francs ($2.2 million).

Also on Thursday Fifa announced a $122 million loss in 2015 which it blamed partly on legal fees and other extra costs caused by the corruption scandal.
   
Fifa, which had a surplus of $141 million in 2014, said it was its first loss since 2002.
   
Fifa's revenue has increased in its past four-year financial cycle, but it blamed the loss on "expenses and higher competition costs, but also due to unforeseen costs such as legal fees and costs for extraordinary meetings."

Blatter has appealed against his six year-ban from football activities to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the tribunal announced on Thursday.

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