I give gifts, not bribes, says Bin Hammam

Tom Williams

Banned Asian football chief Mohamed bin Hammam likened FIFA president Sepp Blatter to a “dictator” on Monday, and said bribery claims against him were the result of cultural misunderstandings.

The 62-year-old former Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president was banned from the game for life on Saturday following a two-day FIFA ethics committee hearing at the organisation’s Zurich headquarters.

Bin Hammam had been accused of seeking to buy votes in the FIFA presidential election by offering cash gifts of $40,000 each to delegates at a Caribbean Football Union (CFU) get-together in May.

He has pledged to appeal the decision.

The Qatari reacted to his ban on Saturday by publishing a scanned copy of a personal letter sent to him by Blatter in 2008 on his personal blog, demonstrating the extent to which he felt betrayed by the 75-year-old Swiss. He returned to the theme in an interview carried out in Doha with Britain’s Sky News, broadcast on Monday, in which he compared Blatter to a tyrant.

“When you are in a position to lead, the leader usually doesn’t revenge,” he said.

“This is actually the act of the dictators, and you have witnessed through history the dictators, when they think this or that person is a prominent one to replace him, the first thing they do is execute him.

“And they try to fabricate any allegation against him, to jail him or something like that.

“So I mean usually - I don’t know whether Mr Blatter considers himself a leader or not - but the leader doesn’t revenge.”

Bin Hammam also said that gift-giving was a routine practice in FIFA and that exchanging presents with other members of the organisation should not be regarded as attempted bribery.

“This is a normal, normal, normal practice,” he said. “I’m telling you again, I did not give any cash gifts to anybody but these are normal.” Pointing to his wrist watch, he added: “This watch is a gift.”

Despite his claims, Bin Hammam insisted “he had nothing to do with” the cash-filled envelopes allegedly distributed to the CFU officials.

Bin Hammam’s suspension by FIFA on May 29 led to his withdrawal from the presidential election, thereby handing Blatter a fourth consecutive term in office.

In a letter to AFC members published on his blog on Monday afternoon, Bin Hammam said that he was not ready to relinquish his role at the head of the organisation. “I have all the right to fight against this shameful accusation until I clear my name,” he wrote.

“That means I will not render my resignation as AFC President and FIFA member representing Asia as far as the legal proceedings are continuing.”

In a statement to the media published on his blog late on Sunday evening, Bin Hammam had reiterated his earlier claim that FIFA had no concrete evidence that he was guilty of bribery.

AFP