Inquiry Report Uncovers Alleged Messi Visit Scam in Kerala
An official inquiry report from the Kerala Sports Department has identified what it describes as a significant financial and procedural scam related to the unsuccessful effort to bring football icon Lionel Messi and the Argentina national football team to the state. The report, submitted to Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan by Sports Minister O.J. Janeesh, details serious violations of government rules and alleged misuse of state resources.
The investigation found that Reporter Broadcasting Corporation (RBC) was chosen as the event’s commercial partner without any public tender or competitive bidding. The private partner claimed to have transferred Rs. 126 crore to the Argentine Football Association (AFA) through a US-based intermediary. However, investigators found no banking records or documentary evidence to confirm this transaction.
Procedural Lapses and Financial Irregularities
The inquiry revealed that no legally binding tripartite agreement was established between the state government, the AFA, and the sponsor. Instead, a general commercial brochure from the AFA was reportedly presented as an official commitment letter to secure necessary clearances from the Union Sports Ministry and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
The report also criticised former Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman for leading a delegation to Spain, a trip that reportedly cost the state exchequer Rs. 14 crore. Additionally, the inquiry highlighted the irregular transfer of the Kochi Kaloor Stadium to the private sponsor. The venue was handed over under the pretext of match-related renovation work, accompanied by an unauthorised financial concession of Rs. 5 crore.
The inquiry committee characterised the situation as a multi-crore fraud with cross-border implications and recommended a comprehensive criminal investigation. It urged the state government to transfer the case to the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau and called for central agencies to investigate potential money-laundering and Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) violations.
Allegations Against Former Chief Minister and Chief Secretary
The inquiry report also implicates former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and former Chief Secretary A Jayatilak, alleging that they bypassed established rules and procedures to fast-track an event that lacked a formal commitment from the Argentine Football Association. Records uncovered by Sports Department Special Secretary N. Prasanth indicate that the former Chief Minister reportedly favoured Reporter Broadcasting Corporation (RBC).
A notable example cited is the swift handover of the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium at Kaloor to RBC. The decision to waive the security deposit, rent, taxes, and other charges, amounting to over ₹5 crore for the company, reportedly had the Chief Minister’s official approval. The stadium was made available for construction work without final confirmation of the match, official FIFA/AIFF (All India Football Federation) match registration, prior approval from the Law and Finance Departments, and without insurance or bank guarantee provisions for damage recovery, as required by law. The stated purpose was to upgrade the stadium to international standards.
The inquiry report states that there is clear evidence of a conscious attempt to circumvent rules. It also notes that high-level review meetings chaired by the Chief Minister or Chief Secretary, or committees formed thereafter, are not legally capable of validating fundamental defects and procedural lapses arising from non-compliance with constitutional file procedures.
The report was particularly critical of the then Chief Secretary’s role in allowing the state government to play a secondary role to a private company. It suggests that the extensive deployment of government machinery and IAS officers under the Chief Secretary’s leadership for a private commercial venture, without ensuring necessary safeguards, represents a significant institutional failure of supervision at the highest level of the Secretariat, indicating either pre-planned connivance or a lack of understanding of basic secretariat processes.
The report asserts that the Chief Secretary has a specific responsibility to ensure compliance with the Rules of Business, completion of Finance/Law scrutiny, final consent from the AFA, approval from FIFA/AIFF, transparent sponsor selection, exclusion of government liability, and securing public asset safeguards when coordinating matters involving multiple state departments and international contracts. The report recommends that this leadership-level failure be included as a principal charge in the proposed departmental inquiry.
The inquiry report on the proposed Lionel Messi visit to Kerala was submitted.
Source: thestatesman.com
