Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter was questioned Tuesday by Swiss prosecuters over a $2.2 million (two million Swiss francs) payment he authorized to former UEFA chairman Michel Platini in 2011.
The investigation, which was set up in 2015, is looking into the payment Platini received from FIFA in 2011 for an advisory job completed in 2002, on suspicion of "complicity in unfair management, embezzlement and forgery".
Blatter was quizzed about suspected criminal mismanagement at FIFA at the headquarters of the Public Ministry of the Confederation in Bern, where Platini had been questioned for about 3 hours the day before.
"This is the moment when we start to talk about this dossier which has lasted for five years, and about which I have never been asked questions, so I am happy to be able to give information on it," said the 84-year-old Blatter as he arrived.
"It was back pay for work done by Michel Platini. The sum was validated by the finance commission. It cannot be a criminal offence," added Blatter.
Blatter has long denied wrongdoing during his 18-year FIFA presidency. His term ended following American and Swiss investigations of corruption in international soccer.
The 65-year-old Platini said three months ago, in June when he was added to the investigation that the Swiss Attorney General's office had "confirmed in writing in May 2018" that his case was closed.
Two other former FIFA executives, Frenchman Jerome Valcke, the former secretary-general, and German Markus Kattner, the former financial director, are being investigated on "suspicion of unfair management", the Office of the Attorney General has said.
Kattner will be questioned on September 4.
Blatter has also been a suspect since May in a second allegation linked to $1 million of FIFA money gifted in 2010 into the control of Caribbean soccer leader Jack Warner.
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