RismadarVoice Reporters
September 11, 2026
FIFA has issued a lifetime ban to former Football Association of Maldives (FAM) President Bassam Adeel Jaleel for misusing COVID-19 relief funds for personal gain.
World football’s governing body also ordered Jaleel to pay a fine of 1 million Swiss francs ($1.23 million) after an independent ethics investigation found him guilty of financial corruption.
Jaleel, who was previously suspended pending probes into money laundering and embezzlement, is currently serving a 32-year prison sentence in the Maldives for diverting FIFA funds into personal accounts and purchasing an apartment with relief money.
Local outlets report he was recently moved to house arrest on medical grounds.
Alongside Jaleel, former FAM Finance and Administration Director Mohamed Ageel was handed a 10-year ban and fined 100,000 Swiss francs for facilitating the financial scheme and submitting falsified documents.
In a separate ruling, FIFA handed another lifetime ban and a 1 million Swiss Franc fine to former Montserrat Football Association (MFA) President Vincent Cassell over systemic conflicts of interest, abuse of power, and misappropriation of funds.
Former MFA General Secretary Tandica Hughes was also banned for 15 years and fined 150,000 Swiss francs for facilitating illicit financial transactions.
