Former FAM President Bassam Found Guilty in Additional Corruption and Money Laundering Charges

Former president of the Football Association of Maldives (FAM), Bassam Adeel Jaleel, currently serving a nine-year prison sentence for corruption and money laundering, has been found guilty in a new case involving embezzlement and misuse of funds. The case involves USD 1.2 million (over MVR 18 million) issued to FAM by FIFA, which was allegedly misused to purchase two penthouses from Amin Construction. According to the ruling by Judge Mohamed Misbah, the funds were transferred out of FAM’s account under the pretense of currency exchange, but the submitted cheque was found invalid, meaning the funds never returned. Bassam was convicted of corruption and attempting to conceal the origin of the embezzled funds. Sentencing is scheduled for a later date. Bassam had argued that the funds belonged to FIFA, but his defense was rejected by both the Criminal Court and the High Court. He is already serving prison terms of four and five years for separate corruption and money laundering charges.