Bassam Spent Most of FAM’s $12 Million on Properties and Personal Businesses: PG Office

Bassam Adheel Jaleel spent a huge sum from the $12 million fund received to FAM, on his own personal and business purposes, the Prosecutor General’s Office have reported.

According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, FIFA has released a total of nearly $12.4 million (MVR 191.2 million) in aid to FAM from January 2018 until October 2023.

Last month’s issue of the Prosecutor General’s Office newsletter, “Unsuru”, said the investigation had revealed that a large amount of money had been deposited from the FAM account into Bassam’s personal account in the name of dollar exchange.

The letter said the FAM had written “sales of dollars” in the information sent to the bank, to deposit the money into Bassam’s account.

” … However, no Maldivian Rufiyaa [MVR] have been deposited in any of the FAM’s accounts. Financial transactions show that Bassam has used the money for personal purposes,” Unsuru’s article said.

The investigation found that Bassam used the money to buy properties and spend on his business, family expenses and also foreign trips.

There are two penthouses and an apartment in Bassam’s name in Amin Avenue, Hulhumale’. There are rumors that those two penthouses are worth more than MVR 15 million.

The Prosecutor General’s Office newsletter also mentioned that the FAM was exchanging dollars without any rules and without keeping any records.

As part of the ongoing investigation into the FAM’s corruption cases, only one case has been sent to prosecution so far, – charges of money laundering and fraud against Bassam to the Criminal Court for transferring $10,000 from the FAM funds to his own account and using it for personal purposes.

Further cases are still under investigation. Last October, the Maldives Police Service entered the FAM House on the orders of Prosecutor General Hussain Shameem, to operate an investigation regarding alleged embezzlement of funds.

There are reports that a joint team by FIFA and AFC will visit Maldives this month to assess the current situation of the sport in the nation.