FIFA has officially banned Bassam Adeel Jaleel, the former President of the Football Association of Maldives (FAM), from all football-related activities for life and imposed a fine of $1.23 million. This disciplinary action follows investigations into the misappropriation of FAM funds, including COVID-19 relief aid, for personal gain. While Bassam is currently serving a 32-year prison sentence related to embezzlement and money laundering, FIFA has also suspended FAM’s former Finance Director, Mohamed Aqeel, for a period of 10 years. Additionally, Bassam has been fined a further 100,000 Swiss Francs for non-compliance with investigations and the forgery of official documents.
