Bin Hammam appeal verdict expected in June
Reuters - Thursday 19 April 2012, 18:55
Former FIFA
presidential candidate Mohamed Bin Hammam will have to wait
another two months to find out whether his appeal against a life
ban for bribery has been successful.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) completed its two
day hearing of Bin Hammam's appeal on Thursday and secretary
general Matthieu Reeb said a verdict was expected by the end of
June.
Qatari Bin Hammam, ex-president of the Asian Football
Confederation (AFC) and former member of FIFA's executive
committee, was not present.
"I cannot comment on what happened during these two days, I
can just say that 10 witnesses have been heard, that the parties
had ample time to present their closing submissions and now the
ball is in our field," Reeb told reporters.
"It's for the panel of arbitrators to start their
deliberations and to render a final decision, which is expected
at the end of June this year."
Bin Hammam's lawyer Eugene Gulland said in a statement that
the Qatari maintained his innocence.
"The hearing... that we just completed today is Mr Bin
Hammam's first chance to answer charges against him in front of
a court that is not under the control of FIFA," said the
statement.
"Mr Bin Hammam has always insisted on his innocence, he has
always rejected the charges of vote buying and bribery that FIFA
brought against him.
"Mr Bin Hammam has presented a strong case and he looks
forward with great hope that the court will find, as I expect it
will, and should, that FIFA has not proved the charges against
him."
Bin Hammam challenged Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency
last year.
He withdrew his candidacy, and was then provisionally
suspended, days before the June election over allegations that
he had tried to buy the votes of Caribbean officials by handing
them $40,000 each in brown envelopes.
Blatter was subsequently re-elected unopposed for a fourth
term as FIFA president, while Bin Hammam was found guilty of
breaking seven articles of FIFA's ethics code, including one on
bribery.
He was banned for life and subsequently lost an appeal at
FIFA.