Criminal Court rules against Bassam's appeal

Criminal Court has ruled that it has the jurisdiction to hear the charges against former Football Association of Maldives (FAM) President Bassam Adeel Jaleel, who is accused of embezzling funds sent to FAM by FIFA, despite his defense arguing that FIFA's approval is required.

Bassam, who is currently serving a nine-year prison sentence for a separate conviction of embezzlement and money laundering, faces additional charges of corruption and money laundering. These charges allege that Bassam embezzled USD 1.2 million (over MVR 18 million) sent by FIFA to FAM and misused the funds.

In the court hearing, Bassam's lawyers contended that the case regarding the alleged embezzlement of FIFA funds cannot proceed without FIFA's explicit consent, citing that the money involved retained its identity as "FIFA funds" even after being transferred to the Football Association of Maldives (FAM). They referenced a precedent from Bangladesh, where local authorities did not pursue a similar case, suggesting that the Maldives should follow suit. The defense also asserted that the prosecution was driven by political motives to sway the FAM presidency.

In contrast, the prosecution argued that the funds were allocated to FAM for designated uses, thereby making their embezzlement subject to police investigation. They maintained that FIFA's authority is not comprehensive enough to override Maldivian law concerning criminal investigations, emphasizing that FAM's membership in FIFA does not grant it immunity from national legislation, as no treaty exists to that effect.

Presiding Judge Mohamed Misbah ruled that FIFA's regulations do not override the laws of the Maldives. Furthermore, the Judge noted that since FIFA has not taken any action against the Maldives so far, it suggests that FIFA may have waived its right to take action in this matter.

Therefore, despite the defense's motion that the case should not proceed, the Judge ruled that the trial will move forward.

Bassam’s lawyers requested to appeal the decision and asked the court to halt the trial until the appeal process is complete. The Judge responded that he would comply if a higher court issues an order to stay the proceedings, but otherwise, the trial would continue. The Judge announced that the next stage will be the presentation of witness testimonies.

The current case also involves charges against former senior FAM officials and the construction company Amin Construction, though their trials are being conducted separately.

The nine-year sentence Bassam is currently serving stems from a previous conviction where he was found guilty of embezzling USD 10,000 (over MVR 154,000) of FIFA funds and using it for personal matters. As part of that investigation, a penthouse purchased by Bassam in Hulhumale' Amin Avenue was seized by the police last year.