Sepp Blatter was cleared of any wrong doing by the FIFA world ruling body allowing him to run unopposed for the presidency in Wednesday’s election. The only challenger, Mohamed Bin Hammam, stood down amidst corruption allegations.
Bin Hammam as well as executive committee member Jack Warner received suspensions for all activity related to football after the ethics committee of FIFA said they would launch a full blown inquiry into the allegations of bribery made against the two.
The group agreed to investigate claims that financial incentives were offered to Caribbean Football Union (CFU) members. Both deny the allegations and Bin Hammam said earlier he rescinded his candidacy saying he did not want FIFA’s name to be dragged through the mud.
The ethics committee ruled in favor of Mr. Blatter by saying there was no need to investigate the present President who Bin Hammam accused of knowing about the alleged payments to CFU members.
The two Mr. Warner and Mr. Bin Hammam are accused of trying to bribe members with bags of cash that totaled £24,000 for each member of the CFU members in Trinidad. These alleged payments were to secure votes for Bin Hammam’s presidential election campaign.
The ethnics committee was presided over by Namibian judge Petrus Damaseb who told a news conference that Bin Hammam was provisionally banned from participating in an football activity until the ethics committee of FIFA take a final decision and the same for Mr. Jack Warner, also suspended pending further inquiry were Jason Sylvester and Debbie Minguell, CFU officials that are alleged to have handed over the bundles of cash.