Bin Hammam claims case against him is "bogus" and "based on lies" after life ban

By Duncan Mackay in Zurich

July 23 – Mohamed Bin Hammam, the President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), was today banned from football for life by FIFA, a decision announced by Petrus Damaseb (pictured), the acting head of the world governing body’s Ethics Committee.

The 62-year-old Qatari was found guilty of attempting to bribe delegates in the Caribbean to vote for him in the world governing body’s Presidential election.

The decision was announced by Namibian judge Petrus Damaseb, deputy chairman of FIFA’s Ethics Committee who was hearing the case.

It follows a six-week investigation by former FBI officials Louis Freeh into allegations Bin Hammam offered $40,000 (£24,000) to members of the Caribbean Football Union.

“The official Mr Bin Hammam is hereby banned from taking part in any kind of football activity at national or international level for life,” said Damaseb at FIFA’s headquarters here.

The decision means that Bin Hammam is banned from taking part in football-related activity and will have to step down as the head of the AFC and will also be barred from playing any part in Qatar’s preparations to host the 2022 World Cup, which he helped them win.

Bin Hammam did not travel to defend himself and was informed of the decision via fax.

He was represented here by Eugene Gulland, from Washington DC-based law firm Covington & Burling LLP.

“Mr Bin Hammam rejects the findings of the FIFA Ethics Committee hearing and maintains his innocence,” Gulland told a small group of reporters in a hastily-convened news conference after Damaseb had left the building.

Without naming him, Bin Hammam claimed that he found himself in the position due to Chuck Blazer, the general secretary of CONCACAF.

It was the American who had alerted FIFA to the alleged incident in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, on May 10 and 11 where cash-stuffed envelopes were handed out as bribes to get them to vote for Bin Hammam in his Presidential contest against Sepp Blatter.

“The FIFA Ethics Committee has apparently based its decision upon so called ‘circumstantial’ evidence which our case has clearly demonstrated was bogus and founded on lies told by a senior FIFA official,” said Gulland (pictured).

Bin Hammam subsequently withdrew from the Presedential election after the allegations emerged, leaving the way clear for Blatter to win a fourth time, extending a reign that had started in 1998.

Blazer, himself, was sanctioned by the Ethics Committee and given a warning for claiming to some CFU members that they were “under investigation” when they were not.

But he was cleared on the more serious charge of racism.

CFU officials Debbie Minguell and Jason Sylvester, also being investigated by the Ethics Committee over claims they helped hand out the money, were eachbanned from football-related activity for a year.

Former FIFA vice-president and CONCACAF President Jack Warner was also charged over his alleged role in the affair, but his resignation from FIFA last month prompted the organisation to drop all the charges against him.

The investigation has been marked by a series of damaging leaks which had led Bin Hammam to conclude that he would not receive a fair hearing here.

Gulland claimed that Bin Hammam was a condemned man even before the five-person Ethics Committee convened here to hear the case.

“He has gone on record, and maintains, that the FIFA Ethics Committee was going to find against him whatever the validity of the case presented to them,” he said.

“We have strictly observed the legal rules regarding the confidentiality of these proceedings and not shared our evidence, which is compelling, with the media.”

“FIFA, either directly or through third parties, appears to have done the opposite with selective and continual leaking of documentation that has been part of these proceedings to the media in order to influence public opinion and create basis.”

Bin Hammam had vowed before today’s decision that he would continue to try to clear his name.

He can appeal to FIFA and beyond that can take his case to the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport.

“He will continue to fight his case through the routes that are open to him,” said Gulland.

“We are confident of the strength of our case and invite FIFA to make available now to the media a full transcript of these proceedings.”

Contact the writer of this story at zib.l1734869910labto1734869910ofdlr1734869910owedi1734869910sni@y1734869910akcam1734869910.nacn1734869910ud1734869910