Swiss court helps Blatter gag FIFA bribery claims

FIFA President Sepp Blatter has won a court injunction in Switzerland against Somali FA President Farah Addo to gag the official from repeating claims that his surprise presidential win in 1998 was rigged by bribery.

"During the current presidential campaign, the Somalian association president had stated that (FIFA executive committee member) Mohammed Bin Hamman had bestowed financial gifts upon officials from different African associations before the presidential election in 1998 in order to secure their vote for Blatter," FIFA said in a statement after the injunction was obtained in a Swiss court today.

Addo made his claims in a television documentary shown broadcast in Switzerland in February and his story was taken up extensively in 'The Daily Mail' in England.

Addo's former deputy Mohamed Ali Hersi denies his version of events and the Somali president is facing internal FIFA disciplinary measures.

The court today - which has previously prevented publication of a book by Andrew Jennings which was highly critical of FIFA's financial dealings and Blatter's regime in particular - said Addo "had yet to prove" his allegations.

FIFA backed the ruling saying Addo was "inflicting substantial damage on Blatter's personal rights, particularly in view of the fact that Addo had waited four years to go public," FIFA said.

Bin Hamman, a Qatari member of the FIFA executive committee and close associate of Blatter, is suing Addo in Egypt over his claims which centre on the bribery of Hersi to influence the Paris vote in May 1998.

African football chief Issa Hayatou is fighting Blatter's re-election next month with FIFA's executive committee sitting on Friday to discuss the bribery allegations and Blatter's suspension of an independent audit of the organisation's finances amid fears of massive debts run up by FIFA.