By Andrew Warshaw
May 25 – Mohamed Bin Hammam today hit back after being charged by FIFA with offering bribes for votes, claiming the move was “little more than a tactic” on the the part of the opposing camp loyal to Sepp Blatter.
Bin Hammam and FIFA vice-president Jack Warner have both been charged and ordered to appear before the organisation’s Ethics Committee on Sunday (May 29) where they will almost certainly face long bans if found guilty.
“This has been a difficult and painful day for me,” said Bin Hammam.
“But if there is even the slightest justice in the world, these allegations will vanish in the wind.
“This move is little more than a tactic being used by those who have no confidence in their own ability to emerge successfully from the FIFA Presidential election.”
Chuck Blazer, American general secretary of CONCACAF, has presented FIFA with a dossier alleging violations of the code of ethics during a meeting organised by Bin Hammam and Warner for Caribbean Football Union (CFU) federations.
Two CFU officials, Debbie Minguell and Jason Sylvester, have also been charged.
It has long been rumoured that CONCACAF will end up being split over who to support on June 1 but deliberately bringing accusations against Bin Hammam just to undermine his chances of unseating Blatter seems an unlikely scenario.
There is no precedent of a senior FIFA administrator citing a breach of ethics by another but Bin Hammam totally dismisses the accusations.
“I remain deeply indebted to Mr Warner for his sense of fair play because without his support and understanding I would not have been able to meet with several important member associations of FIFA to discuss my election manifesto,” he said.
“I completely deny any allegations of wrongdoing either intentionally or unknowingly while I was in the Caribbean.
“I will speak to Mr Warner on this subject and offer him my full support in ensuring we are discharged honourably by the FIFA Ethics Committee, a body which I hold in the highest esteem.
“I am confident that there is no charge to answer and that I will be free to stand in the FIFA Presidential election on 1 June as originally planned.”
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