Bin Hammam: Include Blatter in FIFA corruption investigation May 26, 2011 -- Updated 2154 GMT (0554 HKT)

Sepp Blatter (left) and Mohamed Bin Hammam (right) will find out who will be the new FIFA president on June 1.

(CNN) -- FIFA presidential candidate Mohamed Bin Hammam wants the current head of world football Sepp Blatter to be included in the organization's investigation into bribery.

Bin Hammam, who is the sole challenger to Blatter in presidential elections scheduled for June 1, is due to be quizzed by FIFA's ethics committee this weekend along with Jack Warner, who runs the CONCACAF federation covering Central and North America.
The pair have been accused of bribery by FIFA executive committee member Chuck Blazer in relation a meeting the two held with the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) on May 10 and 11 this year.
Bin Hammam, who is head of the Asian Football Confederation, denied any wrongdoing and has now demanded Blatter be included in the probe after claiming he was also named in evidence handed to the ethics committee.
FIFA probe fresh bribery scandal
A statement sent to CNN by the Qatari read: "Mohamed Bin Hammam, member of the executive committee of FIFA, was surprised by yesterday's accusations of bribery. He rejects these accusations and confirms that they are without substance.
"The accusations also contain statements according to which Mr Blatter, the incumbent FIFA president, was informed of, but did not oppose, payments allegedly made to members of the Caribbean Football Union.
"Mr Bin Hammam has therefore requested that the investigation by the Ethics Committee be extended to include Mr Blatter himself.

I take no joy in having to observe yet another ethics committee hearing and investigation
--Sepp Blatter, FIFA president

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"The timing of the accusations so close to the election of FIFA president on June 1, suggests that they are part of a plan to damage Mr Bin Hammam and force him to withdraw as a candidate for the FIFA presidency.''
Bin Hammam added: "I am not at all afraid to answer any questions that the Ethics Committee may have for me at the hearing next Sunday. As long as the Committee guarantees a fair process, I have nothing to fear."
Warner has also been named in allegations made by David Triesman, the former head of England's 2018 World Cup bid, who claimed he was asked to provide money to Warner in exchange for his vote. Warner denies the allegations.
Meanwhile, Blatter has insisted he "takes no joy" in seeing his election rival being hauled before the ethics committee and refuted the idea he had anything to do with the situation.
Writing for the Inside World Football web site he said: "To make a point very clear, let me say this: I take no joy in having to observe yet another ethics committee hearing and investigation. And I take absolutely no joy in seeing my friends and colleagues of many years dragged before the ethics committee.
"I take no joy to see men who stood by my side for some two decades, suffer through public humiliation without having been convicted of any wrongdoing: nobody is guilty until a judge has found him guilty beyond reasonable doubt.

"To now assume that the present ordeal of my opponent were to fill me with some sort of perverse satisfaction or that this entire matter was somehow masterminded by me is ludicrous and completely reprehensible."