Sepp Blatter to face FIFA Ethics Committee

Blatter will appear before Fifa's ethics committee on Sunday to answer charges that he knew about alleged cash payments, the world governing body have announced.

The charge has been made by Bin Hammam, his rival for the Fifa presidency in next week's election, who will also be at the hearing to answer a charge of bribery.

The latest development means that the three of the most powerful men in world football - Fifa vice-president Jack Warner has also been charged with bribery - will now appear before the ethics committee on Sunday.

The ethics committee are bound by their rules to investigate any complaint by an executive committee member under article 16 of the ethics code.

Fifa said in a statement: "On 26 May 2011, Fifa ExCo member Mohamed Bin Hammam has requested the Fifa ethics committee to open ethics proceedings against Fifa president Joseph S. Blatter on the basis that, in the report submitted by Fifa ExCo member Chuck Blazer earlier this week, Fifa vice-president Jack A. Warner would have informed the Fifa president in advance about alleged cash payments to delegations attending a special meeting of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) apparently organised jointly by Jack A. Warner and Mohamed Bin Hammam on 10 and 11 May 2011 and that the Fifa President would have had no issue with these.

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Chris said:

Not much hope that they'll actually do anything...but at least they are doing something rather than trying to hide everything under the carpet. It would be interesting to find out who is on the FIFA Ethics Committee though.]

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he email was revealed last night by Jack Warner hours after he and Mohamed Bin Hammam, until yesterday Sepp Blatter’s only rival for the Fifa presidential vote on Wednesday, were suspended from the governing body pending an investigation in to corruption allegations.

They are accused of offering Caribbean football officials up to $1m in exchange for their votes for Bin Hammam in the presidential election.

The revelation of Valcke’s views on the successful Qatar 2022 bid has opened up another front in the deepening corruption scandal that is engulfing the organisation.

According to Warner, the email from Valcke to him stated: "For MBH [Mohamed Bin Hammam], I never understood why he was running. If really he thought he had a chance or just being an extreme way to express how much he does not like anymore JSB [Blatter]. Or he thought you can buy Fifa as they bought the WC."

In Zurich this morning, Valcke said: "It was a private email and we will discuss it. He sent me an email asking if I want that [Bin Hammam to run], he said that I should ask Bin Hammam to pull out."

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