Bassam Adeel Jaleel, the embattled former president of the Football Association of Maldives (FAM), has requested additional time to complete the handover of two apartments he allegedly purchased using FAM funds. Police had issued a notice for Bassam to surrender the apartments by Sunday, warning that they would be seized if not handed over on time.

When asked about the situation, the Maldives Police Service confirmed that Bassam had not yet complied with the deadline. Instead, through his lawyers, he submitted a request for an extension, asking to have until October 31st to complete the handover. Authorities are currently reviewing his request and preparing a response.

Bassam is under investigation for embezzlement and money laundering, with allegations that he misused funds from FAM for personal gain. The police probe revealed that in 2021, Bassam embezzled nearly USD 1 million from a USD 1.9 million FIFA loan, which was intended to support local football clubs during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Further investigations uncovered that over MVR 3 millions of FAM funds was used to purchase two apartments from Amin Avenue, a development project by Amin Construction. The payments were made in three installments, and a fake paper trail was allegedly created to make it appear that the missing funds were replaced with an equivalent amount in Maldivian Rufiyaa.

The police investigation has led to criminal charges being sought against Bassam, Amin Construction, and several former FAM officials, including Mohamed Aqeel, the association’s former finance head, and Hassan Waheed (Dhona). All are suspected of embezzlement, fraud, and money laundering.

Bassam continues to face additional charges as the police delve deeper into corruption cases within FAM, heightening scrutiny over his tenure at the football governing body.