Court extends seizure of Hulhumalé apartments bought by Bassam

The court has extended the police's authority to seize two Hulhumalé apartments allegedly purchased by former Football Association of Maldives (FAM) president Bassam Adhil Jaleel using FAM funds.

The two penthouses, located in Amin Avenue, Hulhumalé, were initially seized under a one-year order issued by the Hulhumalé Magistrate's Court in September last year. The apartments were formally handed over to police on 9th October 2024.

As the initial one-year seizure period expired on 28th September 2025, the court has now issued a fresh order extending the seizure for another year, according to the Prosecutor General’s Office.

Police allege that Bassam used funds allocated by FIFA to FAM, intended to help football clubs facing financial hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic, to purchase the two apartments.

Investigators earlier revealed that Bassam paid USD 1 million to Amin Construction to acquire the penthouses. Authorities claim that FAM attempted to disguise the payment as a currency exchange transaction, rather than a real estate purchase.

The case has since been submitted for prosecution. In addition to Bassam, charges have been filed against Amin Construction, FAM’s former head of finance Mohamed Ageel, and Hassan Waheedh, who was also employed by the association at the time.

Bassam is facing charges of fraud and money laundering, including an allegation that he misused USD 10,000 provided to FAM for personal use. The case is currently awaiting sentencing.