No complaint filed, says Bassam’s lawyer in USD 10K FAM case

Bassam Adeel Jaleel, the former President of the Football Association of Maldives (FAM), currently facing embezzlement charges, informed the Criminal Court on Monday that no reports of misappropriation of company funds have been made.

This statement was delivered by Bassam's lawyer during the summary statement hearing for the treason and money laundering charges against him. The hearing for both cases concluded Monday after the summary statements were presented. The two cases are now set for sentencing.

During Monday's proceedings, Bassam's lawyer asserted that no complaint had been lodged regarding a USD 10,000 loss from FAM, as alleged in the lawsuit. The lawyer argued that there is no basis to consider this money as criminally obtained, emphasizing that it was neither suspicious nor illicit in nature under the circumstances. Consequently, Bassam's lawyer requested the court to dismiss both charges.

Conversely, in the two cases that concluded Monday, the prosecution requested the state to recover the USD 10,000.

The basic penalty for such an offense typically includes a fine ranging from USD 10,000 to USD 1 million, alongside a prison sentence of five to 15 years. If the case is proven, Bassam faces a potentially severe sentence.

Bassam was charged with embezzlement and money laundering in December. These charges stem from the alleged misuse of funds received by FAM from various sources, including the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), during his tenure as President. These funds were purportedly used for personal purposes, transferred to the accounts of then-FAM officials, and funneled into companies linked to them.

The embezzlement charge specifically relates to USD 1.2 million from a USD 1.9 million loan provided by FIFA, intended for disbursement to football clubs during the Covid-19 pandemic. He allegedly used these funds to purchase two apartments in Amin Avenue.

The money laundering charge pertains to funds equivalent to MVR 25 million, which were allegedly embezzled from FAM’s USD account and transferred to various company accounts. These funds were reportedly used to cover the booking fee, commitment fee, and GST for the purchase of two apartments—units A1205 and A1206—featuring eight rooms and ten bathrooms, located on the 12th and 13th floors of Amin Avenue Block A.

The prosecution has sought a total of USD 1.2 million in damages from FAM due to the alleged fraud. Additionally, the prosecution aims to seize apartments A1205 and A1206 of Amin Construction in Amin Avenue, which Bassam was reportedly using, as part of the laundered money.