High Court rejects Bassam's appeal on flat seizure
A three-judge bench considered the matter, with a majority ruling against accepting the case.
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High Court has declined to accept an appeal by former Football Association of Maldives (FAM) president Bassam Adeeb Jaleel, challenging the Hulhumale Magistrate Court’s order to seize two apartments allegedly purchased using funds from the FAM financial scandal.
Bassam filed the appeal on October 9, contesting the lower court’s order to hand over the apartments to police custody. The High Court Registrar refused to register the case, prompting Bassam to request a review by the High Court judges.
A three-judge bench considered the matter, with a majority ruling against accepting the case. The decision included:
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Justice Mohamed Niyaz and Justice Mohamed Shaneez Abdulla upheld the registrar’s decision, determining that the matter should be reviewed by the lower court.
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Chief Justice Hussain Shaheed dissented, stating that the law allows for the possibility of appeal, as it does not specifically exclude the jurisdiction of the High Court in such matters.
The apartments were seized by police under Section 51 of the Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism Act. According to the police, the seizure was a temporary measure to prevent property transactions and will remain in effect until a court issues a final ruling.
The case is part of broader investigations by the Anti-Corruption Commission and police into allegations of fraud and money laundering involving Bassam and other former FAM officials.
Bassam faces charges in multiple cases, including allegations that:
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Two apartments were purchased using $1 million from a $1.9 million COVID-19 relief loan provided by FIFA to assist football clubs during the financial crisis. The prosecution claims that: The payment to the developer, Amin Construction, was made in US dollars rather than Maldivian rufiyaa.Documentation was falsified to indicate that the payment was made in local currency.
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On August 26, 2018, Bassam deposited $10,000 from FIFA funds into his personal account. The prosecution alleges:
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A significant portion of the funds was used for the benefit of Bassam and his wife’s company, Glacier Investments.
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$2,000 of the amount was used to pay the rent for a Rehendhi flat.
