Blatter also faces FIFA ethics hearing
Source: Agencies |
May 28, 2011, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
FIFA President Sepp Blatter will face an ethics investigation alongside his election rival Mohamed bin Hammam after soccer's governing body widened its enquiry into bribes-for-votes allegations.
In a shock move yesterday, FIFA said it was calling Blatter to appear at an ethics hearing tomorrow, three days before he stands against challenger bin Hammam in the election for the most powerful job in world soccer.
Bin Hammam was summoned on Wednesday, along with CONCACAF President Jack Warner and two Caribbean Football Union officials, after fellow executive committee member Chuck Blazer reported a possible case of bribery in the election campaign.
According to FIFA's statement yesterday, ethics proceedings were opened against Blatter at bin Hamman's request because the FIFA president may have known about cash payments to delegates at the meeting.
"I cannot comment on the proceedings that have been opened against me today," Blatter, who has been FIFA president since 1998, said in a brief statement yesterday. "The facts will speak for themselves."
Bin Hammam has denied any wrongdoing in the matter, which concerns a CFU meeting attended by the Qatari official and Warner on May 10-11.
The presidential election, in which the two men are the only candidates, is due to go ahead on June 1 at the annual FIFA Congress in Zurich but is now shrouded in uncertainty.
FIFA would not comment on the potential consequences of the ethics committee hearing, to be headed by Namibia's Petrus Damaseb.
However, a previous ethics committee hearing in November handed down provisional bans to two executive committee members who allegedly offered to sell their votes in the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosting contest to undercover newspaper reporters.
If such a ban was handed to one or both of the candidates it would make it impossible to hold the election on June 1.
Blatter is standing for a fourth term against bin Hammam, head of the Asian Football Confederation.
The crisis erupted on Wednesday following a report by CONCACAF General Secretary Blazer alleging possible violations of the FIFA code of ethics.
In a shock move yesterday, FIFA said it was calling Blatter to appear at an ethics hearing tomorrow, three days before he stands against challenger bin Hammam in the election for the most powerful job in world soccer.
Bin Hammam was summoned on Wednesday, along with CONCACAF President Jack Warner and two Caribbean Football Union officials, after fellow executive committee member Chuck Blazer reported a possible case of bribery in the election campaign.
According to FIFA's statement yesterday, ethics proceedings were opened against Blatter at bin Hamman's request because the FIFA president may have known about cash payments to delegates at the meeting.
"I cannot comment on the proceedings that have been opened against me today," Blatter, who has been FIFA president since 1998, said in a brief statement yesterday. "The facts will speak for themselves."
Bin Hammam has denied any wrongdoing in the matter, which concerns a CFU meeting attended by the Qatari official and Warner on May 10-11.
The presidential election, in which the two men are the only candidates, is due to go ahead on June 1 at the annual FIFA Congress in Zurich but is now shrouded in uncertainty.
FIFA would not comment on the potential consequences of the ethics committee hearing, to be headed by Namibia's Petrus Damaseb.
However, a previous ethics committee hearing in November handed down provisional bans to two executive committee members who allegedly offered to sell their votes in the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosting contest to undercover newspaper reporters.
If such a ban was handed to one or both of the candidates it would make it impossible to hold the election on June 1.
Blatter is standing for a fourth term against bin Hammam, head of the Asian Football Confederation.
The crisis erupted on Wednesday following a report by CONCACAF General Secretary Blazer alleging possible violations of the FIFA code of ethics.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
