GENEVA – A Swiss magistrate investigating allegations of corrupt links between a Swiss regional prosecutor and FIFA chief Gianni Infantino and has closed his investigation, clearing him of any suspicion.
The special prosecutor appointed late last year concluded that gifts that Rinaldo Arnold received were not aimed at influencing his work, said a statement from his office. Arnold is a prosecutor in the southern canton of Valais.
Arnold had been suspected of receiving the gifts from FIFA chief Infantino, which included match tickets, in return for favours, said the statement. The case was closed on April 10.
The investigation was launched last year as a result of “Football Leaks”, a cross-border investigation by several European news organisations based on a massive leak of hacked data in 2016.
Rui Pinto, a Portuguese hacker linked to the leaks, is being held in Portugal awaiting trial there on charges of “aggravated attempted extortion” and data theft. If convicted he could face up to 10 years in prison.