High Court rejects Bassam’s appeal over seizure of apartments

The High Court on Thursday rejected an appeal filed by Bassam Adeel Jaleel, the embattled former president of the Football Association of Maldives (FAM), over the seizure of two apartments he owns at a luxury apartment complex in Hulhumale’ – apartments that the police believe were purchased using funds embezzled from the FAM.

The two apartments at Amin Avenue were seized by the police after they obtained a warrant from the Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court.

Bassam had surrendered the apartments by 12:00 am on October 9 – after the police gave him an additional 24 hours on the original deadline. He appealed the seizure of the apartments with the High Court the same day.

But the High Court confirmed on Thursday that it has rejected the appeal.

A police investigation uncovered that in 2021, Bassam embezzled USD 1 million out of an USD 1.9 million loan provided by the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to disburse funds to football clubs during the Covid-19 pandemic.

He used the funds to purchase two apartments from Amin Avenue.

The payments to Amin Construction – the developer of Amin Avenue - were made in three installments.

Investigators also found a fake paper trial was set up to make it appear like an equivalent amount of Maldivian Rufiyaa was transferred to FAM’s bank account to replace the embezzled USD 1 million.

The police have asked for criminal charges against Bassam, Amin Construction, FAM’s then-finance head Mohamed Aqeel, and Hassan Waheed (Dhona), another former FAM official.

Bassam, Aqeel and Dhona are suspected of embezzlement, fraud and money laundering.

On June 20, FIFA suspended Bassam for nine months over the allegations against him.

Bassam also faces more charges as the police investigate additional cases related to corruption within the FAM.

He has repeatedly denied the allegations against him.

The police launched the investigation into the FAM on October 22, 2023, on special orders from the then-prosecutor general Hussain Shameem.