Bin Hammam was riding the crest of a wave when he launched his bid to become FIFA president, fresh from delivering the 2022 World Cup to his country Qatar in a stunning victory.

Qatar 2022 had trounced their opponents in the vote - and so confident were their bid leaders that they announced the outcome to Al Jazeera television a full hour before FIFA president Sepp Blatter opened the envelope.

In January, a month after the World Cup vote, Bin Hammam was re-elected unopposed as president of the Asian confederation and the rumours gathered strength that he would mount a challenge to Blatter.

But almost from the moment that Bin Hammam confirmed at the end of March that he would run for president, his campaign began to unravel.

Within two days of the launch of his manifesto, Bin Hammam travelled to Paris aiming to woo European associations at the annual UEFA Congress, and even talking about doing a deal with Michel Platini.

But in terms of votes, Bin Hammam left the French capital empty-handed: Blatter announced to UEFA he would definitely step down in 2015 and the prospect of him keeping the seat warm for Platini was enough to persuade Europe to vote to maintain the status quo.

By the middle of April, Bin Hammam had realised that the CONCACAF nations from the Caribbean, north and central America were his main hope, and he put out the feelers to his long-time ally Jack Warner, the confederation's president.

CONCACAF were due to hold their Congress on May 3 in Miami, and Bin Hammam asked Warner to arrange a special congress of the 35 members outside of the USA beforehand. Warner agreed with alacrity: "Let's make this happen," he emailed to Chuck Blazer, the secretary general of CONCACAF and also a FIFA member.

Blazer was surprised at the request - why shouldn't Bin Hammam travel to Miami as Blatter was doing? - and he blocked the move. Instead, after Bin Hammam cited visa problems in coming to the USA - even though he has a diplomatic passport - Warner arranged for the 25 members of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) to meet the Qatari in Trinidad on May 10.

It was on that day however, in the House of Commons in London, that the wheels started to come off for Bin Hammam. At a select committee hearing into World Cup bidding, Damian Collins MP revealed under Parliamentary privilege that a whistleblower who had worked for the Qatar 2022 bid had alleged they had paid FIFA members Issa Hayatou and Jacques Anouma 1.5million US dollars to vote for them.

A man named Amadou Diallo was named as Qatar's 'fixer' who did the deals with African FIFA members.

At the same hearing, ex-FA chairman Lord Triesman alleged four other FIFA members including Warner had made improper demands during England's World Cup bid.

Bin Hammam was swift to deny any bribes had been paid, but confirmed to Press Association Sport that Diallo was "a close friend". The allegations however meant that FIFA now had to launch an investigation - bad timing for Bin Hammam's campaign.

The bombshell really dropped on Wednesday last week, two weeks after Bin Hammam had met the CFU members in Port of Spain. After the meeting, the head of the Bahamas' association Anton Sealey approached Blazer and reported that he had been offered 40,000 US dollars in cash, and that Warner had said the 'gift' was from Bin Hammam.

Blazer may have been a long-time colleague of Warner but he decided he had no option but to launch an investigation, and instructed Chicago lawyer John Collins to compile a file of evidence.

The dossier, including signed affidavits from seven CFU associations, photographs and emails, was sent to FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke and on Wednesday it was announced that Bin Hammam and Warner had been charged with bribery.

Bin Hammam reacted with fury, alleging this was a conspiracy to stop him running for presidency, but insisting he would be cleared by the ethics committee and that he would triumph over Blatter.

Yet, less than 12 hours before he was due to give evidence to the ethics committee, the grim reality facing him became impossible to ignore and he announced his withdrawal from the election.

Rather than clearing him, the committee stated they were "satisfied there is a case to answer" and suspended him from all football activity - along with Warner - pending a full inquiry.

For such a powerful figure to so suddenly find himself in this situation is unprecedented within FIFA.