Bin Hammam arrives for FIFA ethics hearing

Mohamed Bin Hammam arrived at FIFA’s headquarters today to face an ethics committee hearing on bribery charges, hours after withdrawing from the presidential election.

Bin Hammam and FIFA vice-president Jack Warner both face bribery allegations over the election while Blatter will also appear before the committee after being accused by his opponent of knowing about alleged payments.

Bin Hammam, from Qatar, refused to speak after arriving at FIFA in Zurich – a press conference with Petrus Damaseb, the Namibian judge presiding over the hearing, and FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke is scheduled for this evening.

Bin Hammam and Warner are accused of handing over bundles of cash, each of $40,000 (€28,000), to Caribbean football officials. They deny the charges and Bin Hammam said in a statement he was withdrawing from the election because he did not want FIFA’s name to be dragged through the dirt any more.

He said: “I pray that my withdrawal will not be tied to the investigation held by the FIFA ethics committee as I will appear before the ethics committee to clear my name from the baseless allegations that have been made against me.

“I promise those who stood by me that I will walk with my head held high and will continue to fight for the good of the game.

“I would like to offer my thanks and appreciation to all member associations and individuals who supported me. I hope that they will not receive my decision with disappointment and frustration.

“I have a special thank you to my friend and colleague Jack Warner for his unlimited support. I am sorry to see that he has to suffer because of me, but I am promising him that I will be with him all the ay through thick and thin."

Warner and Bin Hammam face lengthy bans should the corruption allegations made by fellow executive committee member Chuck Blazer be proven.

Blazer has submitted a file of evidence compiled by a USA lawyer claiming that the bribes were paid during a meeting organised by Bin Hammam and Warner for Caribbean Football Union (CFU) associations in Trinidad two weeks ago.

Bin Hammam made a complaint on Thursday that Blatter knew about the alleged cash payments in the Caribbean and under their code, the ethics committee had to summon Blatter to answer that charge as well.