Nasser Al-Khelaifi: PSG president acquitted in Swiss corruption trial
Nasser Al-Khelaifi was charged in a case related to the awarding of World Cup media rights; Former FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke found guilty of forging documents but cleared of other charges
Friday 30 October 2020 17:27, UK
Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has been acquitted of a charge of incitement to criminal mismanagement in a Swiss court, his legal team has said.
Al-Khelaifi, who also sits on the executive committee of European football's governing body UEFA, had been charged in a case related to the awarding of World Cup media rights which also involved former FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke.
However, his legal team told the PA news agency he had been cleared of the charge at the Swiss Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona on Friday.
A statement from Al-Khelaifi read: "After a relentless four-year campaign against me that ignored the basic facts and the law at every turn - I have finally, fully and completely cleared my name.
"Today's verdict is a total vindication. It restores my faith in the rule of law and in due process, after four years of baseless allegations, fictitious charges and constant smears of my reputation - all of which have been proven to be completely and wholly unsubstantiated."
Al-Khelaifi added: "I can now devote all my energy to my various roles, which are all focused on building a positive future for world sport - at a time when the industry needs strong leadership the most."
An additional criminal complaint alleging bribery against Al-Khelaifi was dropped before the case came to court after football's world governing body FIFA withdrew the complaint.
An undisclosed settlement was understood to have been reached between Al-Khelaifi and FIFA.
However, the court found Valcke guilty of forging documents linked to kickbacks from World Cup broadcasting deals in Italy and Greece, but he was cleared of other charges.
He filed three payments totalling 1.25 million euros (£1.12m) to his personal company's accounts as loans.
The French official was acquitted of accepting bribes and criminal mismanagement against the interests of FIFA, where he was secretary general from 2007-15.
Valcke was given a 120-day suspended sentence instead of three years requested by prosecutors and ordered to pay FIFA 1.75m euros (£1.5m) in restitution and 80,000 Swiss francs (£67,000) in costs.
