High Court rejects appeal by Bassam over jurisdiction of FIFA funds case

The High Court today refused to accept the appeal filed by former Football Association of Maldives (FAM) President Bassam Adeel Jaleel regarding the Criminal Court's rejection of his defense argument. Bassam had argued that the charges against him, accusing him of misappropriating funds sent by FIFA, could not be tried without FIFA's permission.

Bassam, who has already been sentenced to nine years in prison this year for corruption and money laundering, faces additional charges of embezzlement and money laundering. These charges stem from the alleged misappropriation of USD 1.2 million (approximately MVR 19 million) sent by FIFA to the FAM.

Bassam's defense team argued that the case, which concerns the alleged misappropriation of FIFA funds, cannot be tried without the international body's consent. They claimed that proceeding without FIFA's permission could lead to the suspension of the Maldives from FIFA. They further asserted that the state had not sought FIFA's consent before initiating the investigation and that investigating authorities in other countries follow a similar practice of seeking FIFA's approval.

The prosecution contended that since FIFA allocated the funds for specific purposes, any use contrary to those purposes is a matter that Maldivian police are authorized to investigate. They stressed that FIFA's rules do not supersede Maldivian law.

The Criminal Court determined that FIFA's principles are subordinate to Maldivian law, allowing the case to proceed without impediments. Bassam’s appeal to the High Court was dismissed by Registrar Mariyam Hurshidha, as it lacked adequate legal reasoning to challenge the Criminal Court's ruling.

Former Prosecutor General Hussain Shameem, who initiated the investigation against Bassam, criticized the defense's argument that FIFA funds should be exempt from Maldivian scrutiny, citing potential violations of the Money Laundering Prevention Act and international agreements.

Additionally, Shameem stated that concerns over a possible FIFA suspension do not justify pausing the proceedings against Bassam.