#White collar crime:
Swiss prosecutors drop preliminary investigation against Gianni Infantino, FIFA President
The Swiss Public Prosecutor’s Office has closed the case against Gianni Infantino and Marco Villiger, which was opened in 2021 following a complaint filed by Michel Platini for active influence peddling and complicity. The former UEFA president accused the FIFA chief and Marco Villiger, the organization’s former legal director, of having played a role in his ousting after a controversial payment he received in 2011. After reviewing the facts and consulting previous investigations, the prosecutor concluded that there was no evidence warranting prosecution. Michel Platini is contesting this decision, denouncing a lack of transparency surrounding meetings between Gianni Infantino and certain Swiss magistrates, and maintaining that this case effectively ended his career. > Read article
Phone farms, slaves, and “pig butchering”: this $15 billion bitcoin seizure exposes a cyberfraud empire
U.S. authorities have announced the seizure of 127,271 bitcoins, the equivalent of $15 billion following the dismantling of a vast scam network operating out of Cambodia. The scheme relied on “phone farms”, forced labor, and “pig butchering” scams, a method in which fraudsters build victims’ trust before stealing their funds. Chen Zhi, chairman of the Prince Group and identified as a central figure in the case, is being prosecuted for fraud and money laundering. A subsidiary based in Laos allegedly facilitated the conversion of embezzled funds into bitcoins generated through mining. The operation, conducted in cooperation with the United Kingdom, also led to the freezing of £130 million in assets, including a mansion in London. Washington has sanctioned 146 individuals and entities under Section 311 of the Patriot Act. Global losses linked to the network are estimated at $75 billion between 2020 and 2024. > Read article
#Banking and Financial Criminal Law:
Pascal Prache appointed head of France’s Financial Prosecutor’s Office
On October 13, Pascal Prache, currently Director of Judicial Services, was appointed to succeed Jean-François Bohnert as head of the Parquet national financier (PNF). The appointment, proposed by Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin and approved by President Emmanuel Macron, must still receive the opinion of the High Council of the Judiciary. Jean-François Bohnert, for his part, is set to become Attorney General at the Versailles Court of Appeal. Established in 2014 following the case of former Budget Minister Jérôme Cahuzac’s hidden foreign bank account, the PNF is responsible for combating major financial crime. It operates as part of a strengthened anti-fraud framework, alongside the Haute Autorité pour la transparence de la vie publique (HATVP) and the Office central de lutte anticorruption (OCLCIFF). The institution currently comprises 20 prosecutors and 9 specialized assistants. > Read article
#Anti-Bribery and Corruption:
At the trial of former Casino executives accused of corruption, the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office denounced a “dirty-tricks operation.”
On 16 October 2025, prosecutors requested a four-year prison sentence, including one year to be served, and a €2 million fine against Casino’s former CEO, Jean-Charles Naouri, as well as four years in prison for journalist Nicolas Miguet, along with heavy fines. They are suspected of having implemented, between September 2018 and June 2019, fraudulent schemes aimed at artificially inflating the share price of the Casino group, then in serious financial difficulty. A €823,000 contract allegedly paid Miguet to spread misleading information encouraging investors to buy Casino shares. The trial is scheduled to conclude on 22 October 2025. > Read article
