PGO Appeals Acquittal of Amin Construction in FAM Money Laundering Case

The Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) has appealed a ruling by the Criminal Court which found that money laundering charges against Amin Construction Pvt Ltd were not proven in connection with the alleged misuse of funds belonging to the Football Association of Maldives (FAM).

In a statement issued yesterday, the PGO said the evidence presented by the prosecution appeared to have been assessed in violation of judicial and legal principles. The office also stated that the court had declined to hear testimony from several witnesses proposed by the prosecution.

The appeal was filed at the High Court, seeking to quash the Criminal Court’s decision and refer the case for retrial. The PGO has also requested an interim order under Article 51 of the Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism Act (Law No. 10/2014), asking the High Court to restrain Amin Construction from conducting any transactions involving Amin Avenue Apartments A1205 and A1206.

އެފް.އޭ.އެމްގެ ފައިސާއަށް ޚިޔާނާތްތެރިވި މައްސަލާގައި ހިމެނޭ އަމީން ކޮންސްޓްރަކްޝަންގެ ބައި ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ހައިކޯޓުގައި އިސްތިއުނާފްކުރުން

އިތުރަށް ވިދާޅުވުމަށް: https://t.co/15XKS8ig4R— Prosecutor General’s Office (@PGO_MV) March 2, 2026

The Criminal Court ruled in January that prosecutors had failed to establish that Amin Construction facilitated money laundering in relation to transactions involving FAM funds. The case centred on the alleged purchase of two apartments at Amin Avenue using association funds during the tenure of former FAM president Bassam Adheel Jaleel.

According to the prosecution, approximately USD 1.2 million belonging to FAM was deposited with Amin Construction to be exchanged into Maldivian rufiyaa. The court heard that the funds were subsequently handed over in cash to Hassan Waheed, a FAM employee who was also charged in the case.

Prosecutors alleged that Amin Construction prepared cash vouchers indicating that the money had been returned to FAM, while the funds were never deposited into any FAM bank account and were instead used to purchase an apartment for Bassam. The company acknowledged receiving the US dollars but denied that the funds were misappropriated or used to finance Bassam’s property purchase.

In his ruling, Judge Mohammed Misbah said there was no evidence to demonstrate that the cash handed to Hassan Waheed had been used to acquire the apartment. He noted that the prosecution relied largely on similarities between the amount transferred and the purchase price, but found no documentation showing that the funds were deposited with Amin Construction for the purpose of purchasing the property.

The PGO has previously described the decision as inconsistent with judicial and legal principles, noting that the same court had convicted Bassam of money laundering in connection with the same transaction. The office argued that while the court accepted that money laundering had occurred, it concluded that the related charges against Amin Construction had not been sufficiently established.

Despite the acquittal of Amin Construction, the Criminal Court later sentenced Bassam to 23 years’ imprisonment for fraud and money laundering linked to the misuse of COVID-19 relief funds provided by FIFA. The court found that he had embezzled and laundered USD 1.2 million sent by FIFA to FAM as a relief loan intended to support football clubs affected by the pandemic.

The court determined that the misappropriated funds were used to purchase two penthouse apartments at Amin Avenue. Bassam, who was already serving a nine-year prison sentence for earlier fraud and money laundering convictions, now faces a total term of 32 years’ imprisonment. He was also ordered to repay USD 1.2 million within six months and fined MVR 44.7 million.