FIFA opens ethics proceedings against president Blatter

ZURICH, May 27 (Reuters) - FIFA widened the bribery enquiry at the heart of soccer to include its own president Sepp Blatter on Friday, summoning the Swiss incumbent to en ethics hearing following a request from his election rival Mohamed Bin Hammam.

Blatter, who has been FIFA president since 1998, and Bin Hammam, the Qatari head of the Asian Football Confederation, will both now appear before an ethics committee hearing on Sunday—just three days before the election for the biggest job in world soccer.

“FIFA Ethics Committee today opened a procedure against the FIFA President in compliance with art. 16 of the FIFA Code of Ethics,” soccer’s governing body in a statement.

“Joseph S. Blatter has been invited….to attend a hearing by the FIFA Ethics Committee at the Home of FIFA (Zurich) on 29 May 2011.”
The crisis erupted on Wednesday following a report by CONCACAF general secretary Chuck Blazer, who like Bin Hammam is an executive committee member, on a meeting of the Caribbean Football Union on May 10-11.
FIFA said the event was attended by CONCACAF president Jack Warner, who has also been summoned to attend Sunday’s hearing, and Bin Hammam and was linked to the presidential campaign.

Blazer reported possible violations of the FIFA code of ethics allegedly committed by officials, including possible bribery, FIFA said.

On Thursday, Bin Hammam said in a statement that Blatter should be included in any investigation.