High Court Dismisses Bassam Appeal Over FIFA Fund Case

The High Court has dismissed an appeal filed by former Football Association of Maldives (FAM) president Bassam Adeel Jaleel concerning charges related to the alleged embezzlement of funds provided by FIFA.

Bassam, who is currently serving a nine-year prison sentence for embezzlement and money laundering, is facing additional charges for allegedly misappropriating USD 1.2 million (approximately MVR 19 million) sent by FIFA to FAM.

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The appeal sought to overturn a Criminal Court decision that rejected a request to review the case without prior approval from FIFA. High Court Registrar Mariyam Hoorushidha rejected the appeal, stating that the appellant had failed to set out specific grounds of appeal and that the lower court’s decision was not legally incorrect.

During earlier proceedings, Bassam’s legal counsel argued that the investigation was unlawful as Maldivian authorities had not obtained permission from FIFA before initiating inquiries. The defence maintained that in comparable cases abroad, law enforcement agencies do not investigate the misuse of FIFA funds without the organisation’s consent.

The prosecution rejected this argument, stating that the funds were disbursed to FAM and that any misuse of those funds falls under Maldivian criminal jurisdiction. Prosecutors argued that FIFA’s internal regulations do not override domestic law and cannot prevent local authorities from investigating alleged criminal conduct.

In its ruling, the Criminal Court held that FIFA policies do not take precedence over Maldivian law and found no legal impediment to proceeding with the case. The High Court registrar upheld that decision by dismissing the appeal.