Fifa Boss Blatter Cleared In Bribery Probe

Fifa's ethics committee has cleared president Sepp Blatter of alleged corruption - but has suspended his former rival Mohamed bin Hammam and vice-president Jack Warner.

The committee said it was satisfied there was a case for the pair to answer with regard to bribery claims and has ordered a full inquiry.

However, it stressed the two men - who vehemently deny the allegations - were innocent until proven guilty.

The ethics committee has cleared Blatter of turning a blind eye to the reported bribes.

The decisions clear the way for him to be re-elected unopposed for a fourth term on Wednesday.

Bin Hammam, who heads Asia's football confederation, and Warner, from Trinidad, have been accused of offering bribes to officials in the Caribbean.

If found guilty, they could be expelled from Fifa and banned from all football activity.

Bin Hammam, from Qatar, announced his withdrawal as a candidate for the presidency earlier on Sunday.

The ethics commission said there was sufficient evidence to further investigate allegations that bin Hammam and Warner offered $40,000 bribes to delegates at a Caribbean football association meeting on May 10-11 in Trinidad.

The payments were allegedly made to secure votes for bin Hammam in his campaign to unseat Blatter as the head of football's governing body.

The evidence was submitted to Fifa by American executive committee member Chuck Blazer.

"We are satisfied there is a case to be answered," Petrus Damaseb, deputy chairman of the ethics committee, told a news conference at Fifa's Swiss headquarters.

Bin Hammam had asked the ethics panel to investigate Blatter on grounds that he knew of alleged bribery attempts and did nothing about it.

But the Fifa panel said there was no evidence to support the claim and take action against the 73-year-old.

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