(Bloomberg) -- FIFA boss Gianni Infantino won his bid to have a specially appointed prosecutor removed from an investigation into undocumented meetings Infantino held with former Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber.
Keller's comments in press releases in 2020 and 2021 “were not presented in an objective manner,” and warranted the recusal, the Swiss federal criminal court said in a statement on Wednesday.
Keller last year opened an investigation after concluding that there were “indications of criminal conduct” related to the covert meetings between Lauber and Infantino during a corruption investigation into soccer's governing body.
Swiss judges last year found that Lauber had been negligent, made false statements and “knowingly concealed” a meeting with Infantino.
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Lauber said at the time that he accepts the sanction against him but rejected “the accusation of lying.”
Keller said in a statement that he rejects “the allegations raised in the judgment that he had ‘communicated misleading and factual information.'” Keller said he will liaise with the supervisory commission of the Swiss attorney general's office, which appointed him, before taking any further steps.
FIFA has previously said that the meetings were legitimate and legal.
“Every party has the right to have his or her case decided by an impartial, unbiased and unprejudiced judge, acting in accordance with the principles of fairness and good faith,” FIFA said.
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