FIFA suspend Executive Committee member

PARIS (AFP) – Sri Lankan Manilal Fernando, a member of world governing body FIFA’s Executive Committee, has been provisionally suspended from all football-related activities for 90 days, FIFA said on Monday.

Without going into details of Fernando’s alleged transgressions, FIFA said in a statement it was suspending him in the wake of an investigation opened in October 2012 “in order to prevent interference with the establishment of the truth” regarding ethics proceedings.
“The proceedings relate to formal ethics charges brought in a final report filed by the chairman of the investigatory chamber with the chairman of the adjudicatory chamber. This report is the result of investigatory proceedings opened in October 2012,” FIFA stated.
Fernando, 63, represents the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and has sat on FIFA’s Executive Committee since 2011.
His suspension is thought to be related to the ban on scandal-hit ex-AFC chief Mohamed bin Hammam.
Bin Hammam, 63, was accused of trying to buy votes in FIFA’s 2011 presidential vote as he challenged Sepp Blatter to lead the global body, and was banned from football.
The businessman formally resigned as AFC head in December, shortly after FIFA’s ethics committee launched a new probe into corruption claims against him and remains suspended from football, despite having a FIFA life ban overturned last year.
Fernando accompanied Hammam on a trip to garner support from Caribbean nations ahead of FIFA’s 2011 presidential poll. Following the trip, Bin Hammam became embroiled in allegations he tried to bribe Caribbean officials during his visit to bolster his campaign.