Mohamed Bin Hammam has had his lifetime FIFA ban annulled by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the Press Association can disclose.
The ruling by CAS will cause huge embarrassment to FIFA, whose ethics committee imposed the lifetime ban for bribery one year ago.
It is understood that while the Qatari has not been proven innocent by CAS the appeal has been upheld on the grounds of a lack of evidence.
FIFA can bring fresh proceedings against Bin Hammam if the revamped ethics committee has any new evidence.
Bin Hammam was found guilty by FIFA's ethics committee last year of paying bribes to Caribbean officials while campaigning against Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency.
Source: PA
