By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
June 1 – Mohamed Bin Hammam, the one-time challenger to Sepp Blatter for the FIFA Presidency before being charged with alleged serious bribery, flew out of here today a few hours before his rival was about to be appointed for a fourth and final term.
Bin Hammam waited until the 11th hour in an attempt to try and join his Asian colleagues at the election but, despite three days of legal advice, failed to get his appeal against his ban from all football-related activities heard in time.
Sources close to Bin Hammam told insideworldfootball than he was due to catch a mid-morning flight to Qatar after being told the FIFA Appeals Committee could not convene until after the election.
Bin Hammam, head of the Asian Football Confederation, will now face an anxious wait to find out whether and when he can resume his various FIFA roles.
The Ethics Committee have opened a full inquiry into the conduct of both the 62-year-old Qatari and CONCACAF President Jack Warner who, it is understood, remained here during the presidential election but did not take part.
Before he left, Bin Hammam protested in a letter against the “unfair way” he was treated by the FIFA Ethics Committee and the FIFA administration.
Despite his explicit written request, Bin Hammam said he was not provided in time with the relevant information regarding the Ethics Committee’s decision and therefore “was not able to file his appeal and was denied his last opportunity to get access to the FIFA congress.”
Bin Hammam stated 10 points which, he said, demonstrated clearly that he was not getting a fair proceeding.
“Most importantly, there is absolutely no justification for a suspension,” he said.
“The suspension is not necessary to conduct the investigation but constituted a grave violation of his reputation and created substantial damage without any necessity.
“I was punished before I was found guilty.
“There are reasons to believe that the suspension was a solitary decision of the chairman and not the Ethics Committee.
“A solitary decision of the chairman is only possible in emergency situations, which was absolutely not the case here.
“The panel of the Ethics Committee was fully present.
“Mohamed Bin Hammam does not understand why the Ethics Committee found the statements of the sole eyewitness truthful when it came to the allegations made against him but disregarded the written statements of 12 CFU (Caribbean Football Union) officials in his favour.
“The behaviour of the FIFA general secretary [Jerome Valcke] at the media conference on Sunday evening was absolutely unacceptable and against all principles of justice.
“Sitting next to the chairman [Petrus Damaseb] of the independent Ethics Committee, he abused the event to voice his personal opinions and to comment on the results.
“Because of this very unfair treatment, Mohamed Bin Hammam reserves all his rights, against this unprofessional and one-sided attitude, with the judicial bodies of FIFA and beyond.”
The letter was mainly in the third person but Hammam himself signed it off.
“I am very sad and disappointed over what has happened in the last days,” he said.
“I will never accept how my name and my reputation have been damaged.
“I will fight for my rights. I thank all the people who have supported me during the last weeks and will support me further.”
Contact the writer of this story at zib.l1734786424labto1734786424ofdlr1734786424owedi1734786424sni@w1734786424ahsra1734786424w.wer1734786424dna1734786424
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