Allegations have arisen that FIFA representative Ahmed Harraz attempted to destabilize Saturday's FAM Extraordinary Congress, and trying to not allow the quorum to be met.
Harraz, FIFA's Member Association's Senior Manager, oversees the FAM case on behalf of FIFA. He has visited the Maldives on many occasions previously as well in relation to FAM matters.
Six of the twenty clubs with voting rights in congress boycotted Saturday's extraordinary congress. These are Eagles, United Victory, Green Streets, Super United Sports and Buru Sports from the First Division, and The Grande from the Second Division. The remaining 14 clubs attended the congress.
An official of CBL, a Third Division congress representative club, said to Mihaaru News that Harraz attempted to carry out some activities outside of the congress.
He said that Harraz had insisted that the club is ineligible to participate in congress.
"He did not communicate with us in a manner that befits a person in a reputable position such as his in FIFA. He said, will you cooperate or not? He was very curt with us," the CBL official said.
He said that CBL had received invitations for congresses held by the previous leadership of FAM as well. He alleges that creating an issue out of this only now is a move by Harraz with the aim of destabilizing the congress.
"As some clubs had boycotted the congress, the truth is if even one more club pulled out, then the quorum would not have been met. He attempted to get us out of there. Then the quorum would have been lost. But we asserted that we are a legitimate member club of FAM. That we received invitations for congress previously as well. He wasn't able to show a valid point to argue that we were not eligible," the official said.
"FAM had invited us. They sent invitations for the congress held in February last year [by the previous management] as well. We are officially invited to other congress meetings as well."
CBL is amongst the clubs that boycotted the February congress held under the leadership of former FAM President Bassam Adeel Jaleel.
The clubs that boycotted that earlier congress were those in support of former FAM President Ahmed Thoriq (Tom) who contested in the elections FAM tried to hold then.
The clubs that boycotted Saturday night's congress are those that were in support of Thoriq's opponent at the time, Eagles CEO and then FAM ExCo member Mufaviz Hashim.
Harraz has close ties with former Acting General Secretary of FAM Mohamed Jaushan Shareef. CBL accuses Harraz of working in ways that would benefit the previous leadership of FAM. Many such accusations have been raised against Harraz earlier as well.
There are also allegations that he was not happy with candidates appointed to the FAM Normalization Committee and demanded they be removed as well.
Mihaaru News reached out to Harraz for comment through email, but did not receive a response. They also did not receive a response from FIFA on the matter, although they have previously responded to other queries regarding FAM.