Bin Hammam resigns, FIFA bans him for life

PanARMENIAN.Net - Mohamed Bin Hammam has resigned from his roles within FIFA and will never be active in organized football again, soccer's world governing body has announced, CNN reported.

The Qatari was president of the Asian Football Confederation between August 2002 and August 2011 and had a place on the FIFA Executive Committee.

Bin Hammam was accused of issuing bribes to members of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), including former North American soccer head Jack Warner, in exchanges for votes during his ill-fated FIFA presidential campaign against current chief Sepp Blatter.

He denied the charges and vowed to clear his name. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) subsequently annulled his lifetime ban from FIFA based on a lack of evidence, though the body stressed the 63-year-old had not been found innocent.

But FIFA said Bin Hammam has resigned with immediate effect from all his roles in a letter dated December 15 and that his life ban was based on a report by Michael Garcia, chair of their Ethics Committee.

A statement on FIFA's website read: "Mohamed Bin Hammam, FIFA Executive Committee member and AFC President, has resigned from all his positions in football with immediate effect and will never be active in organised football again.