By Andrew Warshaw
July 23 – Mohamed Bin Hammam, Asia’s most powerful football administrator until last year’s cash-for-votes scandal, has been plunged into fresh controversy by a damning new report alleging he misappropriated funds while President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
Last week, following a lengthy personal crusade for prove his innocence, Bin Hammam had his FIFA life ban for bribery overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport through lack of sufficient evidence even though the court conceded he was “more likely than not” the source of monies.
Now a detailed new report which led to Bin Hammam being recently suspended for 30 days by the AFC, accuses the 63-year-old Qatari of using AFC bank accounts to conduct his personal affairs and paints a picture of him as a power-mad autocrat who took key business decisions on his own.
The report follows an audit commissioned by the AFC’s Evaluation Committee and conducted by the globally respected accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.
It took almost eight months to compile and throws up significant new questions over Bin Hammam’s behaviour while running the 46-nation confederation.
The report, a copy of which has been leaked to media organisations including insideworldfootball, claims Bin Hammam negotiated contracts without consulting his colleagues and delves into a myriad of complexities regarding his personal and business affairs.
According to the audit, Bin Hammam is alleged to have received vast payments from individuals linked to AFC contracts and to have spent thousands of dollars from AFC coffers on himself and his family.
“We question why Mr Hammam would conduct his personal financial transactions through the AFC’s bank accounts when the documents we have seen indicate that he already has several personal bank accounts in various countries,” the report states.
“It would appear that during the term of his Presidency, Mr Hammam has influenced significant control over the AFC and its operations.”
Not least, it adds, when it came to dealing with the World Sports Group agency which owns AFC marketing rights.
“Our review indicates that Mr Hammam played a significant and [most likely] decision making role in negotiating and subsequently awarding the WSG contract,” PWC says. “For such a major [circa $1 billion/£643 million/€825 million] contract, we would have expected to see significantly more documentation regarding due diligence, discussions and detailed meeting minutes.
“We would also have expected to see this significant contract going through a formal and robust tender process.
“It did not – WSG was appointed without any apparent contestability.”
In a further statement which, interestingly, mirrored the recent ISL scandal, PwC adds: “We have been unable to get clarity as to why third parties, some of whom appear to have some connection to WSG, are paying Mr Hammam large sums of money.
“As stated above, although it is believed that these funds were for Mr Hammam personally, we cannot discount that these funds were intended for the AFC.”
The report also questioned why bin Hammam played “a significant and [most likely] decision-making role in negotiating the key terms” of a broadcasting agreement with Al Jazeera.
“We would have expected to see significantly more involvement of AFC management in negotiations for such significant contracts,” it said.
Intriguingly, payments were also apparently made to Jack Warner, the former FIFA vice-president who is said to have facilitated the infamous Trinidad meeting where last year’s cash-for-votes deal unravelled.
Warner (pictured above with Bin Hammam) resigned from football when the scandal came to light rather than face investigation, while Bin Hammam withdrew his candidature for the FIFA Presidency as soon as the allegations against him emerged.
“Significant payments (totalling $250,000/£161,000/€206,000) have also been made to Mr Jack Warner for which no reason has been provided,” PwC said.
“We note that Mr Warner and Mr Hammam have been subject to adverse media coverage concerning alleged corruption.”
The report concludes by recommending that the AFC, which bin Hammam led until being banned for life after being charged with paying bribes to Caribbean members in exchange for taking on Sepp Blatter in the FIFA Presidential election, seek “legal advice in respect of … whether the actions of Mr Hammam, and other parties identified in this report, constitute criminal and/or civil breaches.”
“It is highly unusual for funds … that appear to be for the benefit of Mr Hammam personally, to be deposited to an organisation’s bank account.”
As soon as the report was received by the AFC, Bin Hammam was handed his 30-day suspension and there are conflicting reports over whether publication of the audit was deliberately timed to smear Bin Hammam, coming within days of the CAS verdict.
Although Bin Hammam has made no comment, those close to him are crying foul, accusing the AFC of a conspiracy designed to prevent him returning and carrying on as President if he so wishes.
Contact the writer of this story at zib.l1734847222labto1734847222ofdlr1734847222owedi1734847222sni@w1734847222ahsra1734847222w.wer1734847222dna1734847222
Related stories
July 2012: Warner “relieved and comforted” by CAS Bin Hammam verdict
July 2012: I’ll quit football once I’ve cleared my name, claims Bin Hammam
July 2012: CAS overturns Bin Hammam’s FIFA life ban
July 2012: Bin Hammam hit with AFC ban over financial wrongdoing
April 2012: Bin Hammam faces uneasy two month wait to learn result of life ban appeal