The Fifa ethics committee has opened an investigation into its president Sepp Blatter after Mohamed bin Hammam requested ethics proceedings were opened against the Swiss head of world football.
Blatter will appear before Fifa's ethics committee on Sunday to answer charges that he knew about alleged cash payments, the world governing body have announced.
The charge has been made by Bin Hammam, his rival for the Fifa presidency in next week's election, who will also be at the hearing to answer a charge of bribery.
The latest development means that the three of the most powerful men in world football - Fifa vice-president Jack Warner has also been charged with bribery - will now appear before the ethics committee on Sunday.
The ethics committee are bound by their rules to investigate any complaint by an executive committee member under article 16 of the ethics code.
Fifa said in a statement: On 26 May 2011, Fifa ExCo member Mohamed Bin Hammam has requested the Fifa ethics committee to open ethics proceedings against Fifa president Joseph S. Blatter on the basis that, in the report submitted by Fifa ExCo member Chuck Blazer earlier this week, Fifa vice-president Jack A. Warner would have informed the Fifa president in advance about alleged cash payments to delegations attending a special meeting of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) apparently organised jointly by Jack A. Warner and Mohamed Bin Hammam on 10 and 11 May 2011 and that the Fifa President would have had no issue with these.
