The FIFA ethics committee cleared FIFA president Sepp Blatter of corruption but suspended one-time presidential candidate Mohamed bin Hammam and FIFA vice-president Jack Warner on Sunday.
The committee, chaired by Nambibian Petrus Damaseb, heard 62-year-old Qatari bin Hammam, Warner and Blatter during a dramatic day which had started with bin Hammam withdrawing from the presidential election in which he was Blatter’s sole opponent.
The FIFA presidential election will go ahead as planned on June 1, announced FIFA secretary-general Jerome Valcke after the ethics committee announced its findings.
“Both bin Hammam and Warner were provisionally banned from future activity in football while a full investigation is carried out,” announced Damaseb.
“There, they can confront their accusers.
“The critical consideration is to ensure the investigation is not compromised.”
Bin Hammam, Warner and two Caribbean Football Union (CFU) officials had been summoned to the ethics committee to answer corruption allegations but the two CFU officials failed to appear despite FIFA offeirng to fly them in at their own expense.
Bin Hammam and Warner were targeted after Chuck Blazer, general secretary of regional football body CONCACAF, reported possible misdeeds during a May 10 and 11 meeting in Trinidad.
Bin Hammam and Warner were accused of offering $US40,000 ($A37,650) in cash gifts to national associations at the Trinidad conference in return for their votes in the presidential election.
Blatter, 75, had been summoned to appear before the ethics committee to answer claims that Warner had told him in advance of alleged payments made at the meeting.
He strongly denied that and his version of events was accepted by the ethics committee.
Roger
Guest
"$US40,000 ($A37,650) in cash gifts" Is that it? Please. If that was the going rate, getting the FIFA WC would be a relatively minor affair.
nordster
Guest
"Bin Hammam and Warner were accused of offering $US40,000 ($A37,650) in cash gifts to national associations at the Trinidad conference in return for their votes in the presidential election." Bin Hammam's defence is understood to claim that he played no part in offering bribes, and that his contribution was limited to the travel, accommodation expenses and ''administrative costs'' of the meeting. The Qatari has admitted paying these expenses despite a warning from Blazer that to do so ''raised ethical issues''. Warner's defence is thought to include statements from 12 other Caribbean football officials claiming the allegations are entirely false, and that nothing of the sort happened in Trinidad. source: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/football/bin-hammam-gives-up-as-a-football-tsunami-swirls-around-fifa-20110529-1fayx.html
RedOrDead
Roar Guru
Cho Chung Yun, Korea Football Association chairman will take over as AFC president....and at the re-vote of the 2022 World Cup bid, Korea will get the WC! lol
whiskeymac
Guest
so what happens in the AFC now = whats the implication for our confederation and who gets into power. for all thats said MBH was the one who got us into asia. will it have implications for the modernisation in Asia; the Phoenix in the HAl... interesting times.