Bassam denies ownership of penthouse

Former FAM President Bassam Adeel Jalil has denied allegations that he owns two penthouses in Hulhumale', which he allegedly purchased using funds from the Football Association of Maldives (FAM).

The matter was raised during legal proceedings at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), where Bassam has filed a case against FIFA, challenging his suspension on corruption charges.

As part of their defense, FIFA’s legal team presented several allegations to justify the action taken against Bassam. One key claim involves the two penthouses in which Bassam was residing.

According to FIFA's lawyers, Bassam's name appeared on a list of individuals who had failed to pay maintenance fees for the penthouses and an additional apartment in the Amin Avenue complex.

However, the list in question reportedly identified a "Bassam Ali" rather than Bassam’s full legal name, raising doubts about the direct link. The CAS panel concluded that there was insufficient evidence to definitively establish that the properties belonged to Bassam.

In response, Bassam maintained that he owns no real estate under his name and emphasized that the properties were not his.

Despite his denial, Bassam was previously ordered by a Maldivian court to hand over the penthouse property to the police, as it was allegedly acquired using FAM funds. The apartment, which had merged two penthouses, was surrendered in October of last year.

Bassam appealed the Criminal Court’s order, but the High Court declined to accept the appeal.

His suspension from FIFA officially ended in March. In February, CAS upheld FIFA’s decision, stating that the organization had acted appropriately.

Several corruption cases involving Bassam remain ongoing in Maldivian courts.