The Criminal Court has rejected the defense argument of former Football Association of Maldives (FAM) president Bassam Adeel Jaleel, who claimed his case could not proceed without FIFA’s permission.
Bassam, currently serving a nine-year prison sentence, four years for embezzlement of FAM funds and five years for money laundering, is facing new charges related to the alleged embezzlement of over USD 1.2 million (more than MVR 18 million) sent by FIFA to FAM. He is also charged with treason and money laundering in the ongoing case.
At Wednesday’s hearing, Bassam’s legal team argued that since the funds originated from FIFA, its rules prohibit investigation without FIFA’s explicit consent. They claimed national agencies should not intervene in such matters.
Appearing online from prison, Bassam stated that FAM’s affairs are tightly monitored by FIFA and warned against third-party interference, citing past instances where FIFA suspended countries for breaching its protocols.
However, the court dismissed the defense, and prosecutors countered that while FIFA can impose football-related sanctions, criminal investigations fall under the jurisdiction of national authorities.
The case will now proceed to the evidentiary stage. Charges have also been filed against other former FAM officials and Amin Construction in connection with the alleged embezzlement.