NEWS:MOHAMED BIN Hammam has claimed the cash given to members of the Caribbean Football Union during his campaign for the Fifa presidency was simply payment to cover their expenses as he launched a stinging attack on the governing body for his life ban.

The 62-year-old Qatari was yesterday banned for life from all football-related activity after being found guilty by Fifa’s ethics committee of attempting to bribe 25 members of the CFU in Trinidad in May.

Bin Hammam, who was found guilty of giving or offering cash gifts totalling around €700,000, has confirmed he will appeal the decision.

“We did not do anything wrong,” he said. “We played in compliance with the rules and regulations of Fifa. I did not provide money for distribution, or for buying votes or for bribing. I paid the expenses of the congresses, the travel expenses, daily allowances.”

The ban stems from allegations made after a meeting for associations of the CFU organised by Bin Hammam and former Concacaf president Jack Warner in Trinidad during the Qatari’s campaign to oust Sepp Blatter as Fifa president.

Several members of the CFU claim they were offered sums of money for “development projects” at the meeting.

Bin Hammam, who alleged his fate was decided even before the ethics committee heard his case, claimed the decision was an act of revenge for standing against Blatter.

“Exactly, there is nothing else,” he said. “The ban for life has already been written before the investigation started. I was expecting it actually. The ban for life, that shows how much these people are angry, how much they are full of revenge.”

Bin Hammam, who was not present at the ruling after alleging Fifa just wanted a “platform” to announce his ban, also claimed he still does not know the allegations against him. “Not at all, we asked them officially, they did not answer,” he said.

The Qatari revealed he would now take his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).

“The first step for me is the appeals committee of Fifa which is another kangaroo court,” he said. “Then after that when we go to Cas things are going to be much improved. At that time I think Fifa will not have the full stage themselves.

“Then I should go to the civil courts in Switzerland where we have full confidence to make the necessary justice.”

The Asian Football Confederation president also insisted he would not resign. “I am not resigning, I am not going to resign. I will quit with the final say of Switzerland,” he said.

Fifa vice-president Jim Boyce claimed Bin Hammam did himself no favours by not putting his case to the ethics committee in person.

The Northern Irishman said: “Personally I think he should have (turned up). I’ve always said that if someone has a case to answer for anything they should be prepared to face people and give their views.”

Chuck Blazer, the man who first blew the whistle on the bribery scandal, claimed Bin Hammam’s ban would be a warning to anyone in football tempted to use corrupt means.

Blazer, the USA’s Fifa member and general secretary of the Concacaf confederation, first instructed lawyers to gather evidence of the bribery claims after being told of the cash gifts by the Bahamas FA.

“It sets a precedent and one that I fully support. It’s a very good day for football in that it has been demonstrated that the process we adopted five years ago with the ethics code and committee is able to work.”