Bassam taken back to prison less than 24 hours after transfer home

Bassam Adeel Jaleel, sentenced to 32 years in prison for corruption and money laundering during his tenure as president of the Football Association of Maldives (FAM), has been moved back to Maafushi Prrison, less than 24 hours after he was transferred home.

Bassam, who was convicted of four charges of corruption, was transferred to home confinement on Monday afternoon.

The decision sparked widespread public criticism.

Aminath Yusreen Ahmed, the spokesperson for Maldives Correctional Service, told Sun on Tuesday morning that Bassam was temporarily transferred home at the advice of his doctors after undergoing a surgery.

She stressed that the Correctional Service had followed standard protocol in making the decision.

Yusreen said that Bassam has been moved back to Maafushi Prison after making arrangements for his post-surgery care there.

The police launched a special investigation into the FAM on October 22, 2023, on orders from the then-prosecutor general Hussain Shameem.

This investigation uncovered multiple incidents of corruption, including in 2021, when Bassam embezzled USD 1 million out of a USD 1.9 million loan provided by FIFA to disburse funds to football clubs during the Covid-19 pandemic, and used it to purchase luxury apartments in Hulhumale’.

Bassam was sentenced to four years for embezzling FAM’s funds, five years for money laundering, and 23 years for embezzling relief aid for clubs provided by FIFA during the pandemic.