By Andrew Warshaw
November 22 – Mohamed Bin Hammam’s appeal to the highest sports authority against his lifetime ban is now official, with the former Asian football chief determined to clear his name.
Bin Hamman has formally requested the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to overturn the sanction imposed by FIFA for alleged election bribery.
The CAS confirmed in a brief statement that it has registered bin Hammam’s appeal but no date has been set for the hearing.
Bin Hammam wants to have a verdict by next May, when the Asian Football Confederation, which he led before being banned,would be legally bound to replace him as president.
FIFA’s Ethics Committee expelled bin Hammam in July after finding him guilty of attempting to bribe Caribbean voters during his election challenge to FIFA President Sepp Blatter.
He withdrew his bid straight after the scandal emerged in May when a number of Caribbeans admitted they were offered $40,000 (£26,000/€30,000) in cash-filled envelopes after attending a pre-arranged bin Hammam lobbying meeting in Trinidad.
The Qatari categorically denies any wrongdoing and while he tries to gain justice, China’s Zhang Jilong has stepped into his AFC role as well as his position on the FIFA executive committee.
Bin Hammam’s case will not necessarily end at the CAS. If he loses, he can technically pursue his appeal outside the sporting arena at Switzerland’s Supreme Court.
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