Kerala inquiry report alleges scam in Messi match plan
An official inquiry report from the Kerala Sports Department has detailed what it describes as a significant financial and procedural scam related to the failed effort to bring football icon Lionel Messi and the Argentina national football team to the state. The investigation, submitted to Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan by Sports Minister O.J. Janeesh, highlights serious breaches of government regulations and alleged misuse of state resources.
The report, vetted by Sports Department Special Secretary N. Prasanth, indicates that Reporter Broadcasting Corporation (RBC) was chosen as the commercial partner without a public tender or competitive bidding process. Investigators found no banking records or documentary evidence to support RBC’s claim of transferring Rs. 126 crore to the Argentine Football Association (AFA) via a US-based intermediary.
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 allegedly presented as an official commitment letter to secure necessary clearances from the Union Sports Ministry and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Former Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman was also implicated for leading a delegation to Spain, purportedly to finalize match arrangements, a trip that reportedly cost the state exchequer Rs. 14 crore. The report also pointed out the irregular transfer of the Kochi Kaloor Stadium to the private sponsor for renovation work, which included an unauthorized financial concession of Rs. 5 crore.
The inquiry committee characterized the entire episode as a multi-crore fraud with international implications. It has recommended a comprehensive criminal investigation and urged the state government to refer the case to the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau. Additionally, the report called for central agencies to investigate potential money-laundering and violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).
High-Level Involvement Questioned
The inquiry report also implicates former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and former Chief Secretary A Jayatilak for allegedly disregarding constitutional rules and procedures to expedite an event that lacked a formal commitment from the AFA. Records unearthed by the investigation indicate that the former Chief Minister favored RBC.
A key 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 mandated by law. The stated goal was to upgrade the stadium to international standards.
The report states there is clear evidence of a deliberate attempt to bypass rules. It further 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 resulting 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 prioritize a private company. It highlights that the extensive deployment of government machinery and IAS officers for a private commercial venture, without ensuring necessary safeguards, represents a significant institutional failure of supervision at the highest level of the Secretariat, suggesting either pre-planned collusion or a lack of awareness of basic secretariat rules.
The inquiry report emphasizes that the Chief Secretary’s role extends beyond merely convening meetings. When matters involving multiple state departments and central government clearances, foreign remittances, a public stadium, and international contracts are coordinated at the state level under the Chief Secretary, there is a specific responsibility to ensure compliance with business rules, completion of finance and law scrutiny, final consent from AFA, FIFA/AIFF approval, transparent sponsor selection, exclusion of government liability, and securing public asset safeguards. The report recommends that this leadership-level failure be a primary charge in the proposed departmental inquiry, with accountability assigned accordingly.
The official inquiry report was submitted to Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan by incumbent Sports Minister O.J. Janeesh.
Source: thestatesman.com
Priya Menon 