World Cup - Blatter cleared, set for re-election

FIFA president Sepp Blatter was cleared of any wrongdoing in football's bribery investigation and is poised to be re-elected for a fourth term.

Mohamed Bin Hammam, due to stand against Blatter until the withdrew from the presidential race in the early hours of Sunday warning, and CONCACAF president Jack Warner were provisionally suspended pending a further investigation.

FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke confirmed that the election would go ahead on Wednesday with Blatter standing unopposed.

"The committee concluded that the implicated officials must be temporarily excluded from active participation in football activities," ethics committee deputy chairman Petrus Damaseb said.

The allegations concerned a meeting of the Caribbean Football Union in May 10-11 in Port of Spain, attended by Warner and Bin Hammam and Caribbean football officials.

"Some individuals alleged that money was paid as an inducement to support Mr Bin Hammam's candidacy, facilitated by Jack Warner," said Damaseb.

Blatter was interrogated at Bin Hammam's request because he may have known about payments, FIFA said, but Damaseb said nothing wrong had been found.

"The committee was satisfied that even assuming he had been told, there was no duty on his part to report because there was no breach at that stage."

Last November, two other FIFA executive committee members, Reynald Temarii and Amos Adamu, were banned over cash-for-votes allegations concerning the hosting of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Damaseb said the timing of the hearing had nothing to do with the election.

"The timing of our involvement at the moment, the trigger for our involvement, are the statutes of FIFA," he said.
Reuters

The bloke is a prick so we have to put with him for another 4 years oh great. never will forgive him for our failed 2018 world cup bid