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Swiss attorney general has pay cut for breach of duty

Lauber surrounded by journalists with cameras and microphones
Lauber's case (archive picture from 2015) keeps attracting media attention. © Marcel Bieri/Keystone

A panel of experts has accused the Swiss attorney general, Michael Lauber, of disloyalty, lying and breaching the code of conduct in connection with an international football corruption investigation. 

The seven-member supervisory authority said it had decided to sanction Lauber’s breach of duty by cutting his salary by 8% for 12 months. 

“The violations of duty are serious,” said the watchdog committee in a statementExternal link on Wednesday, concluding its ten-month disciplinary probe. 

Lauber, who was narrowly re-elected by parliament for a third four-year term last September, has 30 days to appeal against the watchdog’s decision. 

In the past, Lauber has rejected the accusations, accusing his opponents of plotting against him. 

His office said on Wednesday that Lauber wanted a formal court ruling on the result of the probe before deciding on an appeal. 

The probe centres on undocumented meetings between Lauber and Gianni Infantino, president of world football’s governing body, FIFA. 

Lauber’s office has been investigating numerous cases of suspected corruption against Zurich-based FIFA since 2015.

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