LONDON: Less than two days since Qatar's Mohamed bin Hammam was banned for life from the world's football governing body, an Egyptian has become the latest to fall under suspicion by FIFA's Executive Committee. Petrus Damaseb's investigating panel has called for more investigations and Egypt's Hany Abo Rida is the latest African to be investigated. The Namibian said that the committee needs to investigate all officials who joined bin Hammam on his trip to Trinidad in May, which resulted in his ban after FIFA uncovered bribes were made to Caribbean officials. These include Vernon Manilal Fernando of Sri Lanka and Thai Worawi Makudi. Like Abo Rida, both Fernando and Makudi are members of FIFA's Executive Committee. Several Caribbean football leaders are also under suspicion. On Saturday, FIFA's ethics panel found Bin Hammam guilty of bribing presidential election voters on a visit to Port of Spain in the Caribbean island Trinidad. The five-man panel ruled that the Qatari had conspired to pay Caribbean officials cash bribes of US$40,000 to back his ultimately-abandoned challenge to Fifa chief Sepp Blatter. The Caribbean Football Union (CFU), with the island nations holding 25 of FIFA's 208 votes, was considered key to defeating the Swiss. Bin Hammam has said he will appeal the decision as he fights to clear his name. BM
