BELLINZONA: The four German and Swiss former football bosses whose fraud trial collapsed last year are to receive a total of CHF 1m in compensation.

The trial, arising out of a cash scandal surrounding the 2006 World Cup in Germany, was abandoned because of a statute of limitations on the charges amid scheduling problems enforced by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Former FIFA general secretary Urs Linsi was one of the four men along with ex-German federation directors Theo Zwanziger, Wolfgang Niersbach and Horst R Schmidt.

Linsi, confirming an initial report in the Tage Anzeiger, confirmed that the Federal Criminal Court ruled last week that the prosecution should assume all the legal costs.

In its judgment, the Court of Criminal Affairs awarded each of Schmidt, Niersbach and Linsi 210,300 Swiss francs, 230,680 Swiss francs and 256,000 Swiss francs, respectively for their defence costs. Zwanziger, was awarded 5,452 francs but his lawyer received 207,700 Swiss francs directly from state funds.

In addition, the four men each receive 15,000 francs in compensation. Sums of 908 francs and 1680 francs have been granted to Zwanziger and Niersbach for “inconveniences related to the procedure.”

The total payable by federal funds thus amounts to 972,720 Swiss francs. No awards were made to either world football federation FIFA or the DFB.

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