Bassam Requests Extension for Apartment Handover
The former president of the Football Association of Maldives (FAM), Bassam Adeel Jaleel, has requested additional time to complete the handover of two apartments he allegedly purchased using FAM funds.
The Maldives Police Service had issued a notice requiring him to surrender the apartments, warning they would otherwise be seized by authorities.
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In response to inquiries, police confirmed that Bassam submitted a request through his lawyers to extend the handover deadline to October 31. Authorities are currently reviewing his request.
Bassam is under investigation for alleged embezzlement and money laundering in several cases. The police have submitted charges against him and other former FAM officials to the Prosecutor General’s Office. Investigators allege that in 2021, Bassam embezzled USD 1 million from a USD 1.9 million loan provided by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) intended for financial aid to football clubs during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The investigation revealed that over MVR 3 million of FAM funds were used to purchase two apartments from Amin Avenue, developed by Amin Construction. Payments to the developer were reportedly made in three installments. Additionally, authorities uncovered an attempt to create a falsified paper trail to give the appearance of an equivalent transfer of Maldivian Rufiyaa to FAM’s bank account, intended to disguise the embezzled funds.
In addition to Bassam, police have recommended charges against Amin Construction, former FAM finance head Mohamed Aqeel, and another former FAM official, Hassan Waheed, known as Dhona. The charges proposed include embezzlement, fraud, and money laundering.
Further investigations into potential corruption within the FAM are ongoing, with Bassam facing possible additional charges.
Court Orders FAM to Settle USD 3.4 Million Payment to South Korean Company
The Civil Court of the Maldives has ordered the Football Association of Maldives (FAM) to remit payments amounting to USD 3.4 million to a South Korean company.
The ruling, issued on 28 September, mandates that FAM complete the payments by the end of this month. According to the court order, FAM entered an agreement with the South Korean company on 20 March 2021. The payment of USD 3,372,243 is intended to cover costs related to the development of football fields in Vilimale’ and Hulhumale’, reconstruction efforts in Hulhumale’, modifications requested by FAM, and administrative expenses related to the case.
This financial requirement follows several other financial challenges emerging within FAM. Last month, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) appointed a Normalisation Committee to oversee FAM’s management, citing governance concerns.
In a related ruling, the court ordered former FAM President Bassam Adeel Jaleel to surrender two flats he acquired on Amin Avenue in Hulhumale’ to the Maldives Police Service. The court found that Bassam used FIFA funds, originally allocated to aid Maldivian football clubs during the COVID-19 pandemic, to finance these property purchases. Bassam is required to hand over the flats by 6 October.
The Maldives Police Service claims that Bassam used USD 200,789.80 of FAM funds to acquire the two properties. Previously, FIFA had imposed a nine-month suspension on Bassam following allegations of misappropriation of FIFA funds.
