High Court issues injunction to halt transactions on two Amin Avenue apartments linked to Bassam investigation
The High Court has issued an injunction prohibiting any transactions involving two Amin Avenue apartments allegedly purchased by Bassam Adeel Jaleel using misappropriated FAM funds. This order follows an appeal by the Prosecutor General’s Office against a Criminal Court ruling which characterized the $1 million used for the purchase as a legitimate currency exchange transaction. The PG Office is seeking to have the case remanded to the lower court for retrial, contending that the initial evidence was improperly evaluated.
Former FAM President Bassam Adeel Jaleel. | Avas
The High Court of the Maldives has issued an order to freeze all transactions involving two apartments at Amin Avenue, which are central to the money laundering charges filed against Bassam Adeel Jaleel, the former President of the Football Association of Maldives (FAM).
While the Criminal Court has ruled that the money laundering charges have been proven, the court determined that the $1 million check from the Football Association of Maldives (FAM) was not used to purchase an apartment at Amin Avenue 2. Instead, the court concluded that the funds were part of a legitimate currency exchange transaction between FAM and Amin Construction.
Consequently, the Prosecutor General’s Office has appealed the portion of the case involving the one-million-dollar transaction at the High Court.
The Prosecutor General’s Office stated that the presiding judge’s determination that the check represented a legitimate currency exchange transaction was based on an unlawful assessment of the evidence. Furthermore, the PG Office contends that the judge’s decision to exclude the testimony of several key prosecution witnesses was a violation of legal procedures.
Following the submission of the case, the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) has also requested the issuance of an interlocutory order. Regarding the request for the temporary injunction, the PGO informed the High Court that orders prohibiting any transactions involving these assets had been maintained throughout both the investigation stage and the trial proceedings in the lower court.
Furthermore, the Prosecutor General’s Office informed the High Court that since the case has been formally filed and accepted, any transactions resulting in the loss of the original assets before a verdict is reached could potentially obstruct the state's ability to secure the requested legal remedies.
Consequently, the High Court has issued an order under the Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism Act, prohibiting any transactions involving Amin's two apartments. This restriction, which includes any actions that could result in a change of ownership, remains in effect until the court determines otherwise.
At the High Court, the order was issued by a bench consisting of Judge Fatimath Farheeza, Judge Mohamed Shaneez Abdulla, and Judge Abdul Rauf Ibrahim.
In its appeal filed with the High Court, the Prosecutor General’s Office has requested that the case be remanded to the lower court. The appeal seeks to have the testimonies of all witnesses related to the $1 million transaction re-examined and all presented evidence re-evaluated to issue a fresh ruling on whether the transaction involving the check constitutes an act of money laundering.
Furthermore, the Prosecutor General's Office filed an appeal with the High Court on March 2, 2026, challenging the lower court's ruling that cleared Amin Construction of charges related to aiding and abetting money laundering in connection with this check.
