Criminal Court has ruled that the embezzlement and money laundering case against former Football Association of Maldives (FAM) President Bassam Adil Jaleel falls under the jurisdiction of the Maldivian judicial system.

The case concerns the alleged embezzlement of USD 1.2 million from funds allocated to FAM, which were reportedly used to purchase apartments at Ameen Avenue developed by Ameen Construction. The company has also been charged with money laundering in connection with the transaction, which involved payments totalling MVR 23 million, including booking and commitment fees.

During the latest hearing, Bassam’s legal representatives argued that, under FIFA regulations, funds provided by the international football body are managed by FIFA itself, and that any related investigation should be carried out by FIFA’s Ethics Committee or through international sports arbitration mechanisms. They contended that neither FIFA nor FAM’s Executive Committee had submitted any complaints to Maldivian authorities.

However, state prosecutors maintained that the Maldives has full authority to investigate and prosecute criminal offences committed within its jurisdiction, and that membership in FIFA does not confer any form of immunity from domestic law. The presiding judge, Mohamed Misbah, upheld the state’s position, stating that the country’s criminal justice system takes precedence over FIFA’s internal procedures.

Bassam, who was previously suspended by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Executive Committee, is currently serving a nine-year prison sentence after being convicted of embezzlement and money laundering in connection with the same case. His defence team has indicated plans to appeal the court’s latest decision at the High Court.