Hearing cancelled in Amin Construction FAM-linked money laundering

The first hearing in the lawsuit against Amin Construction, linked to alleged embezzlement of funds from the Football Association of Maldives (FAM), was cancelled on Monday.

Former FAM President Bassam Adeeb Jaleel has been accused of using the association’s funds to purchase an apartment in Amin Avenue. Alongside him, three others have been charged:

The Criminal Court had scheduled the hearing before Judge Mohamed Misbah at 1:30 pm, but it was later cancelled.

A court official said the cancellation was due to the involvement of both a company and individuals in the case. “The hearing was cancelled to study the best way to conduct the preliminary hearings because it includes a lawsuit against a company,” the official explained.

While companies have faced criminal charges in the past, they were usually heard together with other defendants or separately depending on the case.

The lawsuit seeks USD 1 million in damages from Amin Construction. The state has also requested the seizure of two Amin Avenue apartments where Bassam resided.

Bassam faces two counts of fraud and two counts of money laundering in the case.