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FIFA witness steps down from Bin Hammam appeal The head of FIFA's appeals panel, Larry Mussenden, has withdrawn from a case involving Mohamed bin Hammam because he gave evidence of an alleged election bribery plot involving the Qatari official
Bin Hammam faces a full inquiry before FIFA's ethics committee next month and first wants to overturn a provisional suspension which bars the Asian Football Confederation president from all duties while the investigation continues. FIFA said Thursday that Mussenden, a former Bermuda government attorney general, has recused himself from the appeal hearing. Bermuda is among four Caribbean Football Union members whose officials refused $40,000 cash payments allegedly arranged by bin Hammam and former FIFA vice president Jack Warner in Trinidad last month. Mussenden, who heads Bermuda's football body, gave a sworn statement in an evidence dossier that sparked the scandal and prompted FIFA's ethics panel to suspend two of world football's most powerful figures. A FIFA report into their initial hearings found "compelling" evidence of bribery, and states that Mussenden told his general secretary David Sabir not to accept an envelope stuffed with $100 bills after a May 10 meeting with bin Hammam. Sabir represented Bermuda when CFU members were invited to hear the Qatari candidate's pitch at a hotel on Warner's home island. Bin Hammam then allegedly offered cash _ "at least indirectly and under the pledge of secrecy" _ intended to influence them to back him against FIFA President Sepp Blatter, the ethics panel said. The panel's report said Sabir immediately telephoned Mussenden, who "advised him that the Bermuda Football Association would not accept any cash gifts." Any payment "would have to be accompanied by the proper letters authorizing such contribution and it would need to be wire transferred. "Mr. Mussenden confirmed in his affidavit sent to the secretariat to the Ethics Commitee upon its request that he advised Mr. Sabir as set out above," the document stated. FIFA dropped its investigation of Warner on Monday, saying it no longer had legal authority over the Trinidad and Tobago government minister because he quit all his football positions. Warner denies wrongdoing and retained a "presumption of innocence," FIFA insisted. He is still required as a witness in the case against bin Hammam who also denies the allegations. FIFA said it had not appointed Mussenden's replacement to chair bin Hammam's hearing. The appeals committee deputy chairmen are Madagascar federation president Ahmad, and Solomon Islands lawyer Charles Ashley.
