Bin Hammam maintains innocence
14 August 2012 18:06
Mohamed Bin Hammam has vowed to clear his name after FIFA launched investigative proceedings against him.
The former Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president had a lifetime ban for bribery annulled in July due to insufficient evidence.
But Bin Hammam was then suspended for 90 days by FIFA, who are now investigating the Qatari over alleged financial mismanagement during his time at the helm of the AFC.
"My legal team has filed an immediate response to the actions of the AFC and FIFA in relation to my latest politically-motivated ban," Bin Hammam said in a letter to AFC committee members.
"I will announce further steps very shortly to challenge this clear abuse of power and process at the hand of FIFA."
Bin Hammam was accused of paying bribes to Caribbean Football Union delegates while campaigning against Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency in 2011.
It was claimed envelopes packed with up to 40,000 US dollars were handed to the officials during a meeting in Port of Spain.
FIFA banned Bin Hammam from 'any kind of football-related activity at national and international level for life' - a ruling he successfully challenged in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Despite ending the suspension, the CAS said the decision did not make any 'affirmative finding of innocence in relation to Mr Bin Hammam'.
