Bin Hammam Attacks FIFA Ethics Committee Over Ban

Mohamed Bin Hammam has launched a scathing attack on FIFA ethics committee deputy chair Petrus Damaseb and FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke, saying he is confident of coming out unblemished from the bribery allegations designed by Valcke and Blatter, and believes if he was European then he wouldn’t receive the same kind of treatment.

Taking a more aggressive stance in fresh criticism of FIFA, the Qatari, who is appealing a lifetime ban following an investigation into claims that he paid $40,000 cash bungs to Caribbean Football Union members, has published a letter sent to Damaseb on Sunday on his website.

“I am capable enough financially and otherwise to defend myself for years if it is necessary,” he writes.

Bin Hammam, forced to quit the FIFA presidential race in May amid accusations he attempted to buy CFU votes to aid his bid to oust Sepp Blatter, claims the 75-year-old Swiss is using Damaseb “as his pawn in his battle for revenge”, with Valcke also pulling the strings.

Suggesting racist motives for FIFA’s condemnation of him and Caribbean members, he writes: “Were I a European, or were the Caribbean were part of Europe, neither Blatter nor Valcke will dare lay a finger on us; were we Europeans, you would have never been given the opportunity to chair this Ethics Committee panel and slaughter people left and right, as you have done.”

Pledging to clear his name, the Asian Football Confederation chief reiterated that he had never tried to bribe anyone at the CFU meeting in Trinidad on May 10 and 11 where he was accompanied by former CONCACAF president Jack Warner. 

Warner quit FIFA in the summer amid an ethics committee probe into his alleged wrongdoing in the bribery scandal.

“Nobody in this world will believe that Valcke and Blatter are qualified to fight any sort of corruption,” Bin Hammam writes.

“If they are serious about fighting corruption, they should have the courage to volunteer themselves as first subjects of such investigations on the allegations raised against them since years until today,” Bin Hammam writes, a reference to bribery allegations that swirled around Blatter during the 2002 FIFA presidential election contest with African football boss Issa Hayatou.

“Please do not let Blatter use you as his pawn in his battle for revenge. Blatter is immune and is so used to betrayal, conspiracy and wrongdoings but you are not,” he goes on.

Bin Hammam adds: “Have you read Valcke’s threatening letter to the Caribbean Football Union member associations two days after my conviction? [July 25] He clearly indicated to them, either they admit that they had received bribe from Bin Hammam, or they will be punished. He goes on to say that if they admit that they received the bribe, the Ethics Committee will forgive them. 

“Did you or the Ethics Committee decide that? Or is this just another example of him pulling the strings and then later, dictating to you? How have you convicted me first and then now you are asking them to determining whether they have been bribed or not?

Recalling the 2002 FIFA presidential election when Blatter was himself accused of buying votes to see off the challenge of Hayatou, Bin Hammam notes that Damaseb in his role as president of the Namibia FA had voted for Blatter.

“What will be your position if his opponent had won the election, and started a similar witch-hunt questioning and pressurising you with threat of sanctions if you do not admit that you were bribed for voting Blatter,” Bin Hammam writes.

“If your conscience is on vacation, it is time to recall it because enough is really enough!! You should stop Valcke–Blatter damaging people’s reputation and lives. Those people have children and families. Just think what kind of crime you are committing.

“Please stand for the virtues of your profession and for what this noble profession embraces: fairness and justice, not oppression.”

The 62-year-old Qatari is preparing for a drawn-out appeals process.

Two weeks ago, he finally received the FIFA Ethics Committee’s explanation for his ban and promptly launched his appeal to the FIFA Appeals Committee. 

He has said he expects to lose but promises to take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).