The initial hearing in the lawsuit brought by ex-national football player Ibrahim Fazeel (Oppo) against the Football Association of Maldives (FAM) regarding an eviction notice for a warehouse at Maafannu Stadium was called off on Tuesday.

The hearing set for 12:30 pm was called off because Future Homes Pvt Ltd, Oppo's firm, could not be present. The Civil Court has postponed the hearing to Thursday.

Future Homes initiated the lawsuit after FAM sent several notices directing the company to leave what the association claims is an unlawfully built warehouse on land assigned to FAM as part of the FIFA Forward initiative. On July 5, FAM's executive committee opted to take legal action after the company consistently declined to leave the premises.

The Civil Court is currently hearing the case under the Chief Judge.

Future Homes is requesting a court order to stop the eviction process until a final decision is made. The firm is additionally requesting the court to determine its right to compensation for damages.

FAM reports that Future Homes constructed a two-story warehouse with a deck on 2,700 square feet of land granted to FAM for 50 years in 2017. FAM alleges that the warehouse was rented to the company for 25 years free of charge, while Future Homes subsequently asserted that the land was provided in return for MVR 1.8 million paid for clearing the space, a deal FAM contends does not exist.

FAM also claims that the warehouse was constructed without any permits or sanctioned plans from the Ministry of Construction and Infrastructure or the Male' City Council.