Bin Hammam declares he will not give up the fight to rebuild his reputation

By Andrew Warshaw

July 7 – Mohamed Bin Hammam today broke a month-long silence over explosive bribery allegations against him and indicated, as first reported by insideworldfootball, that he would fight to the end to clear his name.

Writing on his website, FIFA’s suspended Asian football chief said he hoped to get a fair hearing at the decisive Ethics Committee meeting on July 22 and 23 despite leaks that reported “compelling” evidence against him and former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner, who has since resigned.

Bin Hammam is accused of trying to pay off Caribbean members of FIFA in order to unseat Sepp Blatter as FIFA President earlier this year.

Bin Hammam and two Caribbean Football Union (CFU) officials are accused of involvement in a plot to bribe 25 CFA members on May 10-11 at a Trinidad hotel.

In his first comments in more than a month, Bin Hammam complained about “continuous leaks of confidential information” related to the investigation.

“Despite all these, I am still looking for and hoping to receive a fair hearing, one which will not be influenced by any political agenda or motivation,” Bin Hammam said on his blog and on his Twitter page.

“I hope that the decision will be made solely by the members of this Committee and based solely on the facts presented and not based on assumptions or the wishes of people outside the Committee.”

The 62-year-old Qatari, who never ended up taking on Blatter having withdrawn the race, said he hoped that “by now, the investigation has identified whether or not there had been attempts by me – directly or indirectly – to buy votes, particularly from those who claimed to have received these monies”.

insideworldfootball reported last month that Bin Hammam would almost certainly be banned for life but would appeal any sentence and take it all the way to the Court of Arbitration for Sport if necessary rather than throw in the towel.

He said as much in his blog but his comments came just after unconfirmed reports that nine of the 25 CFU members who attended the May meeting have now admitted to investigators that they took bribes.

Bin Hammam has received the report of the investigators but has not met with them, preferring to be given his chance to put his side of the saga to the ethics committee on neutral soil at FIFA headquarters in Zurich.

Contact the writer of this story at zib.l1751510989labto1751510989ofdlr1751510989owedi1751510989sni@w1751510989ahsra1751510989w.wer1751510989dna1751510989