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Bin Hammam suspension extended by FIFA

Bin Hammam had a lifetime ban overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in July but was suspended again one week later, this time for a provisional period of 90 days, as FIFA announced a fresh probe by its ethics investigator Michael Garcia.

Now the former Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president and FIFA executive committee member, who challenged Sepp Blatter for the presidency last year, has received a further ban.

"It is astounding that FIFA is able to keep extending its ban on the football activities of Mr Bin Hammam, as it sees fit. FIFA's latest extension order fails to give any reasons to justify its action," said Bin Hammam's lawyer Eugene Gulland in a statement.

"The basic tenet of law is that a person is innocent until proven guilty after a trial conducted according to due process.

"The situation that Mr Bin Hammam is facing is even more bizarre - a man who has prevailed in a trial by an independent legal body continues to be punished in an arbitrary manner."

Bin Hammam was then banned for life after being found guilty of breaking seven articles of FIFA's ethics code, including one on bribery.

CAS overturned Bin Hammam's ban and last week he appealed to CAS again over the provisional suspension.

"The judgment of CAS found not only that FIFA failed to establish adequate evidence that Mr Bin Hammam was the source of the funds, but FIFA had also failed to establish any intent to influence votes. In short, FIFA failed to establish both evidence and motive," his lawyer continued.

"Yet here we are some four months later with FIFA continuing to extend its ban while it, in conjunction with the AFC, conjures up further jumped-up charges."

In its original ruling, CAS said the decision to annul Bin Hammam's life ban was not "an affirmative finding of innocence" and that the case could be re-opened with new evidence.