Bin Hammam corruption verdict expected tomorrow

Berne: Mohammad Bin Hammam will learn his fate tomorrow when Fifa completes its probe into alleged bribery by the former presidential candidate.

The investigation against the suspended 62-year-old Qatari head of the Asian Football Confederation is a test of Fifa chief Sepp Blatter's claim that his corruption-plagued organisation can police itself.

Blatter, starting what he has promised will be his fourth and final term as president, has promised to take a zero tolerance approach to corruption.

The 75-year-old will be thousands of kilometres away in Argentina when the verdict is announced tomorrow following a two-day hearing behind closed doors at Fifa's headquarters in Zurich.

The investigation, led by Namibian judge Petrus Damaseb, has already suffered leaks to the media, prompting Bin Hammam to claim that a campaign has been waged against him.

"With just a few days to go before my hearing, there can be no doubt there has been a campaign waged within certain quarters to ensure that I am seen to be guilty and eliminated from football in the court of public opinion, even before my hearing has started," Bin Hammam wrote on his personal website yesterday.

"Does it not surprise anyone that, although I have been suspended for the last seven weeks from involvement in all football-related activities... for allegedly bribing individuals, none of those who it is claimed received those alleged inducements, have faced similar action?"

Cash for votes

The investigations centre around a meeting of the Caribbean Football Union in Port of Spain, Trinidad in May where Bin Hammam allegedly offered cash in exchange for votes in the June 1 presidential election.

Former Concacaf president Jack Warner is also accused of taking part in the bribery. Both men were provisionally suspended three days before the vote for the Fifa presidency.

Bin Hammam had withdrawn his candidacy hours before he was banned, leaving the way clear for Blatter to be re-elected unopposed securing 186 of the 203 votes cast.