Hearing cancelled as Bassam unable to attend due to illness

The hearing scheduled in the case of Bassam Adeel Jaleel, the embattled former president of the Football Association of Maldives (FAM), was cancelled as reportedly unable to attend due to an illness.

Bassam has been charged with embezzlement and money laundering in connection with the funds issued to FAM by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).

Although a hearing in both cases was scheduled for Monday, the hearing was cancelled as Bassam was unable to attend the court due to an illness.

The presiding judge in the case said efforts would be made to reschedule the hearing sometime this week.

Prior to this, several hearings have been held in Bassam’s case, with the majority of witness testimonies completed. The witnesses include individuals who have previously worked alongside him, such as FAM’s former vice president Ali Umar and former secretary general Hussain Javaaz.

One of the police officers who testified against Bassam in the case said FAM premises were searched in the presence of then-secretary general and a lawyer.

Meanwhile, Umar, while testifying, had stated that an allowance had been allocated for FAM ExCo members.

The FAM ex-President is facing embezzlement and money laundering charges for transferring USD 10,000, extended by FIFA, from the association's accounts to his bank account for personal use.

If convicted, Bassan faces a fine between USD 10,000 and USD 1 million and a prison sentence between five years and 15 years.

Notably, additional embezzlement and money laundering charges have been pressed against Bassam in connection with FAM graft.