Criminal investigation opened against FIFA President Infantino

A Swiss federal prosecutor has opened up a criminal investigation against FIFA President Gianni Infantino, regarding a meeting Infantino had with the Swiss attorney general Michael Lauber.

Last week, Lauber offered to resign after a Swiss federal court determined that he had covered up a closed-door meeting with Infantino in 2017, which special prosecutor Stefan Keller believes may have involved criminal conduct and corruption. Lauber has denied any wrongdoing and officially resigned on Tuesday.

When asked about their meeting in 2017, both Lauber and Infantino said they could not recall what was discussed, an excuse that was not found to be adequate by the Swiss federal court.

"On the basis of general life experience, such a case of collective amnesia is an aberration," the federal court ruling said last week in regards to the meeting. It was their third meeting in 15 months and notes were taken.

Keller was named to the post of special prosecutor on June 29 and found a variety of possible infractions, including abuse of public office, breach of official secrecy, "assisting offenders" and "incitement to these acts."

Infantino became FIFA President in 2016 and like Lauber, has denied any wrongdoing. He was re-elected to his position in June 2019, running unopposed.

Lauber joins former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and former UEFA president Michel Platini as high-ranking officials who have lost their jobs due to an investigation that was started by the Swiss federal government back in 2014.

FIFA has declined to comment at this time.