Bin Hammam vows to fight latest FIFA ban

Qatar's Mohamed bin Hammam has insisted he will clear his name after FIFA's ethics committee opened investigation proceedings against him. The former Asian Football Confederation president was handed a lifetime ban from football last year after being found guilty of bribery by a FIFA ethics committee panel during his campaign for the presidency of the sport's world governing body. However, bin Hammam's ban was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on July 19 after his appeal was upheld on grounds of insufficient evidence. He was provisionally suspended by FIFA's ethics committee following the CAS ruling before the body opened formal investigation proceedings against him last Friday. Bin Hammam has pledged to clear his name, telling the BBC: "My legal team has filed an immediate response to the actions of the AFC and FIFA in relation to my latest politically-motivated ban. "I will announce further steps very shortly to challenge this clear abuse of power and process at the hand of FIFA." The 63-year-old, who spearheaded Qatar's successful bid to win the 2022 World Cup, has always described his punishment as politically motivated retribution for his attempt to unseat FIFA president Sepp Blatter. Bin Hammam was found guilty by FIFA's ethics committee last year of paying bribes to Caribbean Football Union officials at a meeting in Trinidad while campaigning against Blatter. Jack Warner, who quit as FIFA vice-president after the scandal broke, told officials gifts of $40,000 each and totalling around one million US dollars had come from Bin Hammam. The Qatari was subject to a 30-day temporary suspension by the AFC, which was extended worldwide by FIFA on July 26.