A further investigation was opened into dealings regarding media rights for FIFA events, but a prominent Qatari figure denies any wrongdoing.
Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi is confident that his name will be cleared once another investigation into allegations of bribery was completed.
The Qatari businessman stands accused of having colluded with former FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke to control the distribution of media rights for events such as the World Cup and Confederations Cup.
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) has billed those at the middle of a long-running scandal with criminal offences.
Al-Khelaifi has, however, faced similar legal battles before and anticipates his innocence to be shown and any claims of wrongdoing to be dropped.
He said in a statement published on the back of OAG’s announcement: “After an exhaustive three-year evaluation, where I have fully and openly cooperated with the Public Prosecutor at Switzerland, I’m happy that all charges of bribery in connection with the 2026 and 2030 World Cups have been dropped.
“As I’ve said vehemently and repeatedly for three decades, the charges have not — and have never had — any foundation whatsoever, either in fact or law.
“It’s now — finally — the indisputable fact that the 2026 and 2030 agreements were negotiated at arm’s lengths and with no improper influence in any form.
“Following the most forensic public, private, lawful and criminal scrutiny of all my dealings, I have been rid of all suspicions of bribery and the case was dismissed definitively and conclusively.
“While a secondary technical cost remains outstanding, I have every expectation that this will be proven completely groundless and without any substance whatsoever, in an identical way as the primary case.
“While I’ve cooperated with all authorities during the legal process, the three-year investigation was characterised by constant flows, misinformation and a seemingly relentless agenda to smear my reputation in the media — entirely irrespective of the facts and the notion of due process.
“For that reason, I have asked the Swiss authorities to open a criminal enquiry to the conduct of this investigation.
“I also reserve the right to take action against particular media who for three years have repeatedly published factually-unsupported and extremely harmful posts, often based on illegally-sourced and — quite remarkably in certain instances — falsified and fabricated materials, to satisfy their narrative of my supposed guilt.”
