FIFA Delay in Revealing Reasons 'Suspicious' Says Bin Hammam

Doha, August 06 (QNA) - Former Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Mohammed Bin Hammam has termed 'suspicious' FIFA's - the world football governing body - delay in revealing the reasons to ban him for life.
FIFA is yet to officially release the reasons behind the decision handed down by the Ethics Committee on the football official from Qatar who was a strong challenger to President Sepp Blatter before he pulled out of the election held on June 1.
"Although FIFA was keen to introduce the sanctions against me immediately, it has been in much less of a hurry to publish the reasons behind its decision," Bin Hammam said in a statement reported by football news media on Saturday.
"This delay is suspicious in that it gives FIFA the time to devise a justification for a decision that it was always going to make anyway. This is also outrageous as FIFA has been quick to publicise my guilt while holding up my opportunity to appeal.
"FIFA is therefore violating its own rules by seeking to enforce an order before issuing a decision explaining its grounds. I therefore call on FIFA to produce its reasoned decision as soon as possible and I also renew the request that was made on 23 July to release a full transcript of the hearing to the media, for the sake of transparency."
Bin Hammam has maintained his innocence, but cannot lodge an appeal until FIFA's reveals the reasoning behind his ban. (QNA)