http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/8540009/Sepp-Blatter-denies-framing-Mohammed-Bin-Hammam-and-Jack-Warner-in-Fifa-bribes-row.htmlFriday 27 May 2011
Telegraph.co.ukSepp Blatter denies framing Mohammed Bin Hammam and Jack Warner in Fifa 'bribes’ row
The bribery scandal that has rocked Fifa intensified on Thursday night with demands from presidential candidate Mohammed Bin Hammam that an investigation into the matter be extended to include Sepp Blatter.
Pleading innocent: Sepp Blatter was 'shocked' by the accusation against him Photo: REUTERS By Jason Burt, Deputy Football Correspondent 10:22PM BST 26 May 2011
Follow Jason Burt on Twitter
3 Comments
Bin Hammam and Jack Warner, a Fifa vice-president, have been accused of offering bribes to Caribbean delegates in return for votes at Wednesday’s Fifa presidential election.
Bin Hammam’s statement came hours after Blatter had dismissed claims that he had orchestrated a smear campaign against both his rival and Warner, who has long been considered the kingmaker in the presidential election, with his control of the 40 Concacaf votes the key to either candidate’s success.
Blatter dismissed the accusation as “ludicruous” and “completely reprehensible” but a spokesman for Bin Hammam said: “As the recent accusations also mention incumbent Fifa president Joseph Blatter, Mohammed Bin Hammam has requested that the investigation be extended to include Mr Blatter.
The accusations include statements according to which Mr Blatter was informed of, but did not oppose, payments allegedly made to members of the Caribbean Football Union.”
The spokesman, in an email statement, concluded: “It is no coincidence that these allegations have been made only a few days before the 61st Fifa Congress at which the new president will be elected.”
Related Articles
Fifa in crisis: timeline
25 May 2011
Bin Hammam and Warner face bribery charges
25 May 2011
Jack Warner: profile
25 May 2011
Fifa allegations: a timeline
25 May 2011
Mohamed Bin Hammam: profile
25 May 2011
Blatter turns down request to give evidence
24 May 2011
Bin Hammam and Warner have been accused of offering $40,000 bribes in return for votes.
The pair will appear before Fifa’s ethics committee on Sunday and have denied wrongdoing, suggesting they are both victims of an electioneering tactic from Blatter, who is standing for another term.
Yesterday Blatter added that he felt “shock and dismay” at the suggestion and denied that “this entire matter was somehow masterminded by me”.
In an online column, Blatter said: “I am shocked, saddened and deeply unhappy about the charges levelled against a man [Bin Hammam] whose friendship I enjoyed for many years.
"It gives me no pleasure to see him suffer public disgrace before an investigation would even have started.
"I take no joy to see men who stood by my side for some two decades, suffer through public humiliation without having been convicted of any wrongdoing. Nobody is guilty until a judge has found him guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”
Blatter, however, praised the Fifa executive member Chuck Blazer, who compiled the report that included that allegations. Blatter said the American had shown “civic courage”.
“I am horrified by the most recent developments that are shedding a very bad light on Fifa yet again.
"No sane person can take pleasure in this development, and no decent person will enjoy the troubles of others, be that friend or foe,” Blatter added.
The ethics panel can effectively hand Blatter victory in the election by suspending Bin Hammam from duty.
The panel could rule that wrongdoing was proven, or it could provisionally bar Bin Hammam if it requests more time to study evidence compiled by a federal prosecutor from Chicago, who is working for Warner’s Concacaf body.
The file of evidence is understood to include an email trail.
