FIFA ethics committee clears Infantino

FIFA's independent ethics committee has cleared the organization's president Gianni Infantino of any alleged breach of its code, the world soccer regulator announced Wednesday.

The ethics committee received a complaint on June 21 regarding meeting between the FIFA chief and Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber. They received documentations from Swiss authorities and courts.

"All of this material has been duly scrutinized by the chairperson of the investigatory chamber in the context of the preliminary investigation," the committee said in a statement.

"Based on the information available to date, no aspect of the conduct analyzed constitutes a violation of the FIFA regulations," it added.

Criminal investigations by Swiss authorities into Infantino's conduct continue.

Read more: Gianni Infantino FIFA investigation: The five big questions

What is Infantino accused of?

FIFA's ethics committee had launched preliminary investigations into several alleged transgressions, including a FIFA-booked private flight from Suriname to Geneva, and secret meetings between Infantino and Lauber.

"There is no factual basis whatsoever for this criminal investigation," FIFA deputy general secretary Alasdair Bell told a news conference this month, describing the investigation as "grotesque" and "absurd."

Infantino was elected in 2016 to replace Sepp Blatter, who was the subject of criminal proceedings in 2015.

Blatter was banned by FIFA's ethics committee, although the investigations against him are still ongoing and he has not been charged. He denies wrongdoing.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Swiss parliament dropped an impeachment case against Attorney General Lauber after he said he would step down from his role at the end of the month.

ed/rc (AFP, Reuters)