ZURICH (AP) — FIFA has banned the Mongolian football federation president from soccer for five years for taking bribes from Mohamed bin Hammam ahead of the FIFA presidential election.
FIFA says Ganbold Buyannemekh twice “solicited and accepted payments” linked to one of the most damaging corruption scandals to hit governing body.
Bin Hammam withdrew his bid to challenge Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency in 2011 just days before the election after allegations he offered bribes. Bin Hammam, who has always denied wrongdoing, resigned from all football-related posts in 2012 and received a new lifetime ban from FIFA.
FIFA says Buyannemekh took payments from Bin Hammam “in the context of the elections” of the Qatari’s election to the FIFA executive committee in 2009 and then the presidential election two years later.
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