Bin Hammam in fresh outburst at FIFA ban

By Andrew Warshaw

August 29 – Mohamed Bin Hammam has again queried FIFA’s decision to ban him for life via his personal website.

The former FIFA Presidential candidate and President of the Asian Football Confederation was banned after being found guilty of bribing Caribbean football officials in his bid to succeed Sepp Blatter.

Bin Hammam, 62, is hoping to appeal the decision in the Court of Arbitration of Sport and stepped up his attempt to be reinstated by publishing a personal letter sent to Caribbean Football Union (CFU) members from FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke.

The letter apparently arrived on July 25, just two days after the Qatari was banned and proves, says bin Hammam, that FIFA were out to get him.

“Valcke issued a letter to the CFU member associations, threatening them to either admit that they have been bribed or he will open an investigation to find out if I have bribed them or not!!,” Bin Hammam wrote.

“From the language of the letter, one can see who has the power and who is the decision maker in the Ethics Committee or the Appeals Committee.”

Bin Hammam also claimed that an investigation into his conduct “did not identify a single National Association representative who believed that cash was being offered as inducement to support Mr Bin Hammam’s candidacy for President of FIFA”.

Last week, bin Hammam finally received the FIFA Ethics Committee’s explanation for his ban.

He is first going to the FIFA Appeals Committee but expects to lose that case before moving on to the CAS and, if necessary, to the civil Swiss courts to clear his name.

Contact the writer of this story at zib.l1734889669labto1734889669ofdlr1734889669owedi1734889669sni@w1734889669ahsra1734889669w.wer1734889669dna1734889669