By Duncan Mackay

Fernando Manilal head and shouldersMarch 11 - Sri Lankan Vernon Manilal Fernando, a member of FIFA's Executive Committee, has been provisionally suspended from all football-related activities for 90 days, the world governing body announced today. 


Details of what Fernando had allegedly done wrong were not released by FIFA but they said 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 former President of the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) was banned following a request by Michael Garcia, chairman of FIFA's Ethics Committee, and Hans-Joachim Eckert, chairman of the adjudicatory chamber of the Ethics Committee.

"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," FIFA said in a statement.

"This report is the result of investigatory proceedings opened in October 2012." 

Fernando, 63, represents the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and has sat on FIFA's ruling Executive Committee since 2011.

He is also a vice-president of the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka. 

His suspension is thought to be related to the ban on scandal-hit former AFC President Mohamed bin Hammam.

Bin Hammam, also 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 Qatari 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.

A Caribbean football official says he was offered this wedge of cash by FIFA presidential candidate Mohamed bin HammamA Caribbean official claimed he was offered this cash by FIFA Presidential candidate Mohamed bin Hammam during a trip on which he was accompanied by Fernando

Fernando accompanied Bin Hammam on a trip to try to gather support from Caribbean nations ahead of FIFA's 2011 Presidential poll.

He has always claimed he saw no money change hands and there was no discussion of cash for votes.

The decision to suspend Fernando, a lawyer, rules him out playing an active role in the AFC Presidential elections, which are due to be held in Kuala Lumpur on May 2, and where a successor to Bin Hammam is scheduled to be chosen.

Fernando has previously been accused in Sri Lanka of abusing $7 million (£5 million/€5.5 million) in direct FIFA grants and $3.5 million (£2.3 million/€2.7 million) in tsunami relief given to the FFSL.

But he has never faced action over the claims.

He is just the latest FIFA Executive Committee member to be punished for alleged corruption. 

Nigerian Amos Adamu and Reynald Temarii of Tahiti, at the time the President of the Oceania Football Confederation, were banned for their part in a cash-for-votes scandal involving voting for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup after being trapped by an undercover investigation by the Sunday Times newspaper in London.

Others to have left the Executive Committee after being linked with corruption include Jack Warner of Trinidad and Tobago, Bin Hammam, Ricardo Teixeira of Brazil and Chuck Blazer of the United States.

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