By Andrew Warshaw
October 24 – The festering dispute between Mohamed Bin Hammam and his political opponents has reached new levels of bitterness after the current ban on the former Asian football powerbroker was extended by FIFA for a further 45 days to allow the ongoing investigation into his alleged misconduct to be completed.
Bin Hammam (pictured top and below, right) had a lifetime ban for trying to bribe Caribbean members in his bid to oust FIFA President Sepp Blatter overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in July.
But he was suspended again one week later for a further 90 days as FIFA announced a fresh probe by its revamped ethics committee to include claims, totally refuted by Bin Hammam, that he seriously misused funds when he was President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
Last week Bin Hammam once again appealed to sport’s highest court over the latest suspension which was extended – just as it was about to run out – to allow FIFA’s Ethics Committee prosecutor Michael Garcia to gather more evidence.
This has angered Bin Hammam, who has long campaigned for justice claiming he is being victimised for having challenged Blatter (pictured below, left) for the Presidency of the sport’s world governing body.
Bin Hammam’s legal team have lashed out at what they claim are “jumped-up” charges designed to keep him out of football for good.
“It is astounding that FIFA is able to keep extending its ban on the football activities of Mr Bin Hammam, as it sees fit,” said Bin Hammam’s lawyer Eugene Gulland in a statement.
“FIFA’s latest extension order fails to give any reasons to justify its action.
“The basic tenet of law is that a person is innocent until proven guilty after a trial conducted according to due process.
“The situation that Mr Bin Hammam is facing is even more bizarre – a man who has prevailed in a trial by an independent legal body continues to be punished in an arbitrary manner.
“The judgment of CAS found not only that FIFA failed to establish adequate evidence that Mr Bin Hammam was the source of the funds, but FIFA had also failed to establish any intent to influence votes.
“In short, FIFA failed to establish both evidence and motive.”
“Yet here we are some four months later with FIFA continuing to extend its ban while it, in conjunction with the AFC, conjures up further jumped-up charges.”
Crucially, in its original ruling, the CAS said the decision to annul Bin Hammam’s life ban did not mean he was innocent and that the case could be reopened if any new evidence came to light.
One issue is whether he should remain suspended while this happens.
“The reasons for FIFA’s actions are of course political,” said Gulland.
“Mr Bin Hammam stood against Mr Blatter in the Presidential election.
“And he stood on a ticket of reform and restructure – wanting not only an ethical organisation, but one whose power was more devolved from the centre.”
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