Bassam Adeel Jaleel, the former president of the Football Association of Maldives (FAM), who is currently serving a nine-year prison sentence, has been brought to court in casual clothing after he refused to wear the standard inmate attire required for court appearances.

A hearing in the money laundering and embezzlement case involving his purchase of a penthouse using FAM funds was scheduled for Sunday at 8:15am, but proceedings were delayed after the Criminal Court reported that he refused to appear in handcuffs while wearing the designated inmate attire.

He was eventually brought to court at 11am in casual clothing and handcuffs. The court has not taken any disciplinary action regarding his refusal to comply with appearance requirements.

Sunday’s hearing concerned charges related to his purchase of a penthouse at Amin Avenue with FAM funds, including embezzlement and money laundering.

Bassam had already been sentenced to four years for embezzlement, and with additional convictions for money laundering, his total sentence in the FAM funds case has reached nine years.

He was first sentenced to four years for embezzlement and money laundering on October 8 and received an additional five-year sentence for another embezzlement and money laundering case on October 30.