ZURICH: Mohamed Bin Hammam’s former personal assistant at the Asian Football Confederation has been suspended by FIFA for not assisting the inquiry into the former AFC president’s cash dealings writes KEIR RADNEDGE.

Najeeb Chirakal has been banned from all football activity by the FIFA Ethics Committee for his “lack of collaboration with the ongoing investigation proceedings opened against Mohamed Bin Hammam.”

A statement from the world football federation added: “This failure to cooperate constitutes a breach of the FIFA Code of Ethics. The ban is effective immediately and will last for two months or until Chirakal cooperates with these proceedings as requested, whichever is earlier.

“Chirakal had been contacted by the Secretary to the Investigatory Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee, asking him to provide information and documents, and failed to respond.

“The letter notifying Chirakal of the ban also informs him that investigation proceedings may be opened against him for possible violations of the FIFA Code of Ethics if he continues to fail to cooperate with the investigation.

“This is the first instance of sanctions being imposed on a football official for failure to cooperate with an investigation under the 2012 edition of the FIFA Code of Ethics.”

FIFA’s new chief investigator-cum-prosecutor, Michael Garcia, instigated the ban of Chirakal as a further step in the ongoing investigation into Bin Hammam. He had a life ban over  bribery allegations overturned earlier this year by the Court of Arbitration for Sport but was then banned again for 90 days in July for allegations of financial misconduct.

Bin Hammam is contesting all charges.

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