ZURICH/BERN: FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been declared in the clear over his use of a private jet back to the world federation’s headquarters six years ago.

An Extraordinary Attorney General has closed to close the proceedings related to the charter flight from Suriname in 2017.

A FIFA statement said:

The MPC confirmed that the travel arrangements, made by the Office of the President and the FIFA Travel Department, fully complied with FIFA’s compliance regulations. This decision is consistent with the one issued in August 2020 by the FIFA Ethics Committee on this subject. In addition, the MPC recognized that the methods of communication relating to the organization of the trip were then completely justified.

As a result of the decision rendered by the MPC, the Swiss State bears all the costs relating to the investigation. At the same time, the President of FIFA waives any claim for damages and interest and thus any compensation due to him.

Since the start of the procedure, the FIFA President has been at the full disposal of the Swiss authorities. He hopes the judiciary continues to recognize that the current administration of FIFA has moved on from its past and is now an organization of integrity and respect.

Infantino had stated originally that he undertook the flight to keep a meeting UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin. The latter later said he was unaware of any such meeting and Infantino changed his story and admitted to a meeting with Vassilios Skouris, formerly a president of the European Court of Justice.

Infantino remains under investigation over his meetings with the then Swiss attorney general Michael Lauber.

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