By Andrew Warshaw
April 20 – Former Asian football chief Mohamed Bin Hammam faces a nervous two months before discovering whether he has won his appeal against being banned for life for alleged bribery.
A two-day hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ended with a statement by Bin Hammam’s (pictured) lawyers but, as expected, no verdict was forthcoming.
Bin Hammam did not attend the hearing which examined whether he was responsible for the cash-for-votes scandal when Caribbean officials were offered $40,000 (£25,000/€30,000) last May to back Bin Hammam in his election contest against FIFA President Sepp Blatter.
Bin Hammam’s American lawyer, Eugene Gulland, said his client maintained his innocence.
Bin Hammam had “presented a strong case and he looks forward with great hope that the court will find…that FIFA has not proved its charges against him,” Gulland (pictured below) said.
“Mr Bin Hammam has always insisted on his innocence, and he has always rejected the charges of vote-buying and bribery that FIFA brought against him.”
He declined to answer questions on why the former President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) did not attend in person.
FIFA’s Ethics Committee suspended Bin Hammam four days before the Presidential election in Zurich.
He withdrew his candidacy, leaving Blatter unopposed for a final four-year term.
CAS secretary general, Matthieu Reeb, said 10 witnesses were cross-examined at Bin Hammam’s appeal.
“It’s for the panel of arbitrators to start their deliberations and to render a final decision, which is expected at the end of June this year,” Reeb added.
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