By Andrew Warshaw
May 27 – FIFA presidential candidate Mohamed Bin Hammam today rejected all the evidence against him as “without substance” and has repeated his assertion that the opposing camp are out to smear him.
As the poisonous dispute ahead of Sunday’s (May 29) crucial Ethics Committee hearing escalated, Bin Hammam said there was “increasing evidence” of a conspiracy to stop him running against Sepp Blatter on Wednesday (May 25) and that suggestions he tried to buy votes were “completely false”.
In the most strongly worded statement yet from his campaign team, the 62-year-old head of Asian football says the bribery charge against him is nothing but a “tawdry manoeuvre” to discredit him.
Bin Hammam has now seen the files and has responded by supplying his reply despite having had only 48 hours’ notice.
“It is quite obvious that, following previous failed attempts, this is part of a final effort to prevent Mr Bin Hammam from running for the FIFA Presidency,” his statement says.
Explaining his side of the story at a meeting with Caribbean Football Union (CFU) federations, where the bribery allegedly took place, bin Hammam said he wanted to visit as many national associations as possible.
“It is true that Mr Bin Hammam addressed representatives of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) at an extraordinary meeting in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, which took place on May 10 and 11.”
“Nobody has ever tried to hide the fact that Mr. Bin Hammam paid for the delegates’ travel and accommodation expenses and covered the meeting’s administrative costs.
“At this congress, Mr. Bin Hammam presented his programme, which included proposals to give more say, more pay, more support and more responsibility to the national associations.
“Mr Bin Hammam reiterates that any allegations about him trying to buy votes are completely false.
“It is obvious that these allegations have been made to discredit Mr Bin Hammam as a candidate in the imminent election for the FIFA Presidency.
“For example, it took 14 days to formulate these allegations, whereas Mr Bin Hammam was given less than 48 hours to respond.
“After analysing the allegations made against Mr Bin Hammam, it is difficult to understand how the case could even have been brought before the Committee.
“I am happy that on June 1 the election will take place and the delegates of the 208 National Associations will be able to make their decision.”
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