The arrest has been ordered in the framework of an investigation for alleged corruption in the adjudication process
The French ex – footballer and former president of UEFA Michel Platini was arrested on Tuesday morning by police investigating corruption in the awarding of the World Cup 2022 to Qatar, judicial sources have recently confirmed.
Platini was taken into police custody at 09.30 local time (07.30 GMT) and is currently in the offices of the Anti-Corruption Office of the Judicial Police in Nanterre, near Paris.
During his playing days, Platini was crowned Ballon d’Or winner three times in a row between 1983 and 1985.
The Frenchman made his name with Nancy and also enjoyed spells with Saint-Etienne and Juventus.
He was also part of the French side that won the European Championships in 1984.
Platini, who was UEFA president from 2007 to 2015 , is serving a four-year period of disqualification – which expires in October – for violating the organisation’s code of ethics by accepting a fee in 2011, authorised by the then president of FIFA , Joseph Blatter, of about 1.8 million euros for work done between 1998 and 2002.
In addition a former adviser to former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Sophie Dion, has also been arrested while while the former secretary general of the Elysee Palace, Claude Guéant, is providing testimony under the status of “free suspect”, according to the “Le Monde” newspaper.
In 2016, the National Financial Prosecutor opened an investigation for alleged corruption in regard to the award of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, for which Platini testified as a witness in December 2017.
The investigation focuses on a meeting held in November 2010 by the Qatari authorities with Sarkozy and Platini in the Elysee Palace, which was also attended by Guéant and Dion.
Of the 22-man FIFA executive committee who voted on the host nations for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, 10 have been banned or are serving a ban for corruption breaches.
