Criminal proceedings opened by Swiss Attorney General against Sepp Blatter

Sepp Blatter is being questioned by the Attorney General's office in Zurich ©Getty Images

FIFA President Sepp Blatter is being questioned by representatives of the Swiss Attorney General in Zurich regarding a series of allegations, including that he gave a CHF 2 million (£1.3 million/$2.1 million/€1.8 million) "disloyal payment" to UEFA head Michel Platini.

In a remarkable development, this marks the first time Blatter has ever been personally accused of involvement in a string of corruption scandals that have tarnished the governing body under his watch.

A statement from the Attorney General's office announced they had opened "criminal proceedings" against him on "suspicion of criminal mismanagement as well as - alternatively - on suspicion of misappropriation".

It is alleged that on September 12, 2005 Blatter signed a contract with the Caribbean Football Union - headed at the time by another corruption tainted official in Trinidad and Tobago's Jack Warner - and that this was "unfavourable" for FIFA.

There is therefore a suspicion that, in the implementation of this agreement, Blatter also "violated his fiduciary duties and acted against the interest of FIFA and/or FIFA Marketing & TV AG".

He is also suspected of making a "disloyal payment" in February 2011 to Platini, at the expense of FIFA, which was allegedly made for work performed between January 1999 and June 2002."

Both Blatter and Platini have been questioned today, while a house search at FIFA Headquarters has also been taken with the support of the Federal Criminal Police, with the office of the FIFA President searched and data seized.

No additional information will be released at this stage, the statement concludes.

Michel Platini (left) is at the centre of the allegations involving Sepp Blatter ©Getty Images

The news is the most shocking revelation in a tumultuous few months since seven FIFA officials were arrested in May shortly before the FIFA Congress in Zurich, with a total of 14 having been indicted on US corruption charges.

A number of other officials, including secretary general Jerome Valcke, have been implicated in related scandals related to US and Swiss investigations, but until today, the names of Blatter and Platini have been noticeably absent.

The news could also affect Platini's bid to replace Blatter as FIFA President next year, with the Frenchman widely seen as the front-runner to succeed him.

Elections to replace Blatter are scheduled for February 26, although pressure is likely to now grow for him to step-down sooner.

This all comes after an Executive Committee meeting in the Swiss city today, after which a scheduled press conference was cancelled at short notice, leading to speculation as to what was unfolding.

Blatter's lawyer, Richard Cullen, has expressed his confidence that any inquiry will clear the 79-year-old of any wrongdoing regarding the contract with Jack Warner.

"We are confident that when the Swiss authorities have a chance to review the documents and the evidence, they will see that the contract was properly prepared and negotiated by the appropriate staff members of FIFA who were routinely responsible for such contracts, and certainly no mismanagement occurred," he said.

A process is underway to extradite tainted former FIFA official Jack Warner to the US @Getty Images

A statement from FIFA today read: "Since May 27, 2015, FIFA has been cooperating with the Office of the Swiss Attorney General and has complied with all requests for documents, data and other information.

"We will continue this level of cooperation throughout the investigation.

"Today, at the Home of FIFA, representatives from the Office of the Swiss Attorney General conducted interviews and gathered documents pursuant to its investigation.

"FIFA facilitated these interviews as part of our ongoing cooperation.

"We will have no further comment on the matter as it is an active investigation."

The full Attorney General's statement can be read here.