K. Male'
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04 Nov 2025 | Tue 16:21
A photo taken from outside the Criminal Court
A photo taken from outside the Criminal Court
mihaaru
Bassam's sentencing
Court verdict against Bassam still missing from Criminal Court website
The Criminal Court registrar cited timing as the reason for delay
The absence of the verdict in this high-profile case raises concerns about the court's transparency and consistency in publishing judicial decisions
The verdict remains unpublished days after the promised Sunday deadline

The Criminal Court has yet to upload the verdict against former Football Association of Maldives (FAM) President Bassam Adeel Jaleel, despite several days having passed since his sentencing.

Bassam was handed an additional five-year prison sentence for money laundering on the evening of October 30, after official working hours had ended. In similar cases, verdicts announced outside office hours are typically published on the court’s website the following day.

However, when the judgment remained absent from the site on Friday, the court’s registrar, Hassan, stated that the delay was due to the timing of the verdict and assured that it would be uploaded by Sunday. As of late Monday, the verdict was still missing from the website.

The Criminal Court has also not updated any information about proceedings held over the weekend, leaving a conspicuous gap in its public records.

The continued absence of the verdict raises questions about the court’s transparency and consistency in publishing judicial decisions, particularly in high-profile cases.

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