Sepp Blatter cleared as Fifa suspends Bin Hammam and Warner

Sepp Blatter free to stand for re-election as president
Full details on the hearing on our blog

Fifa will open a "full-blown" investigation into allegations Mohamed Bin Hammam and Jack Warner offered financial incentives to members of the Caribbean Football Union and have provisionally suspended them from all football activity, the world football's governing body have confirmed.

Sepp Blatter, Fifa's current president, however will not face an investigation into the allegations that he knew about the payments. He will be free to stand for re-election unopposed at Wednesday's presidential vote after Bin Hammam withdrew from the race late on Saturday night.

"No investigation against Blatter is warranted," said the deputy chairman of the ethics committee Petrus Damaseb, who chaired the meeting that heard the evidence.

The ethics commission said there was sufficient evidence to further investigate allegations that Bin Hammam and Warner offered $40,000 bribes to delegates at a Caribbean football association meeting on 10-11 May in Trinidad.

The payments were allegedly made to secure votes for Bin Hammam in his campaign to unseat Blatter as the head of football's governing body. The evidence was submitted to Fifa by the American executive committee member Chuck Blazer.

"We are satisfied that there is a case to be answered," said Damaseb.

Bin Hammam, who alongside Warner denied any wrongdoing, had asked the ethics panel to investigate Blatter on grounds that he knew of alleged bribe attempts and did nothing about it. But the Fifa panel said there was no evidence to take action Blatter.

Two officials from the Caribbean Football Union, Debbie Minguell and Jason Sylvester, who were alleged to have handed over the money have also been suspended pending a full inquiry.

Jrme Valcke, Fifa's general secretary, wa! s asked whether the investigation into the claims against Bin Hammam, the Qatari president of the Asian football confederation, would also lead to enquiry into the decision to award Qatar the 2011 World Cup. "It was not discussed by the committee," replied Valcke.

Fifa have also announced that the Football Association have cleared the Fifa members Ricardo Teixeira and Worawi Makudi of allegations of bribery made by Lord Triesman relating to England's failed 2018 World Cup bid.


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