FIFA President Sepp Blatter Faces Criminal Investigation by Swiss Authorities Friday Sep 25,2015

The Swiss attorney general has announced criminal proceedings have been opened against outgoing FIFA president Sepp Blatter. 

The Swiss attorney general's office issued a statement saying Blatter is suspected of criminal mismanagement or misappropriation over a TV rights deal he signed with former Caribbean football chief Jack Warner in 2005. 

The 79-year-old is also suspected of 'a disloyal payment' of two million Swiss francs (£1.3 million) to 

UEFA president Michel Platini - who is the favourite to succeed him - in 2011. 

French football legend, Platini, claims the money was paid for work he carried out under contract for the world football's governing body.  

Platini was questioned as a witness on Friday about taking a 'disloyal payment' of 2 million Swiss francs of FIFA money in February 2011. 

The payment by Blatter from FIFA funds was 'allegedly made for work performed between January 1999 and June 2002,' the attorney general's office said.

Under Swiss law, a payment is classified disloyal if it is against the best interests of the employer - in this case FIFA.

Blatter was interrogated after chairing a meeting of FIFA's executive committee. 

Blatter is the first person to be formally quizzed as a suspect in the Swiss case, which FIFA instigated last November when it complained about possible money laundering in the 2018-2022 World Cup bidding contests won by Russia and Qatar.

The allegations also relate to World Cup broadcasting contracts Blatter agreed to with disgraced former FIFA vice president Jack Warner in 2005