Former President of the Football Association of Maldives (FAM), Bassam Adeel Jaleel, who is serving a prison sentence following a conviction for embezzlement of FAM funds, has been temporarily transferred back to house arrest.

An official from the Maldives Correctional Service told "Mihaaru News" that Bassam has been temporarily transferred to house arrest based on the advice of the medical board regarding his health condition.

Bassam was previously transferred to house arrest due to a medical issue as well. That time, he was moved to house arrest because a doctor instructed in writing that he should stay away from dust during the recovery period following nasal surgery.

With arrangements made to expedite his post-surgery treatment while keeping him in prison, he was transferred back to prison on March 16.

The Criminal Court sentenced Bassam to 32 years in prison after he was found guilty on four charges involving the embezzlement of USD 1.2 million (around MVR 19 million) and an additional USD 10,000 (MVR 154,000) sent to FAM by FIFA, as well as laundering those funds.

Among those, he was sentenced to prison on the first charge in October last year.

Police have also seized two apartments purchased by Bassam from Amin Avenue in connection with those cases. While the state is also prosecuting Amin Construction Company and several others in the case, the High Court issued an order last June directing the company not to engage in any transactions involving the apartments.

The case was also forwarded to the Prosecutor General's (PG) Office last June to press money laundering charges against Bassam in connection with the MMPRC embezzlement scandal.