The High Court has rejected the appeal filed by former Football Association of Maldives (FAM) President Bassam Adeel Jaleel regarding the seizure of two penthouses, which he is accused of purchasing using FAM's funds.
Earlier this month, Bassam complied with a Hulhumale' Magistrate Court order by handing over the two penthouses to the police. The High Court's Registrar, however, declined to accept Bassam’s appeal against the lower court’s ruling. The reasons behind this rejection have not been disclosed, but Bassam retains the option to appeal the Registrar's decision to the High Court bench.
Bassam is accused of using USD 1 million from a USD 1.9 million loan granted to FAM by FIFA to support local football clubs during the financial hardships of the Covid-19 pandemic. Allegedly, this money was instead used to purchase the penthouses, which were merged into one unit, reportedly violating building regulations.
According to the police, the funds for the penthouses were paid to Amin Construction, but the equivalent amount in Maldivian Rufiyaa was never transferred to FAM. Documents were reportedly falsified to make it appear that FAM had received the payment. The association also took a loan from a third-party company to give the appearance that the money had been repaid.
Last month, the police forwarded the case to the Prosecutor General's Office, seeking charges against Bassam for his involvement in the case. Amin Construction, FAM’s then-finance head Mohamed Ageel, and Hassan Waheed, a former employee of the association, have also been implicated.
In addition to this case, Bassam faces multiple other charges related to the alleged embezzlement of FAM funds, with cases pending in the Criminal Court.
Bassam Takes Penthouse Case to High Court, Disputes Eviction Ruling
Bassam Adeel Jaleel, the former president of the Football Association of Maldives (FAM), has filed an appeal in the High Court challenging the Hulhumale' Magistrate Court's recent order to vacate two penthouses he allegedly acquired using FAM funds.
