Kerala: Inquiry report alleges massive scam in failed Messi match plan
Inquiry Reveals Procedural Lapses and Financial Irregularities
An official inquiry report by the Kerala Sports Department has detailed what it describes as a significant financial and procedural scam. The report focuses on the unsuccessful efforts to bring football icon Lionel Messi and the Argentina national football team to the state for a match. The investigation, vetted by Sports Department Special Secretary N. Prasanth, was submitted to Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan by Sports Minister O.J. Janeesh.
The report indicates serious violations of government regulations and alleged misuse of state resources. It found that Reporter Broadcasting Corporation (RBC) was chosen as the commercial partner for the event without a public tender or competitive bidding process. This unilateral selection is highlighted as a key procedural flaw.
Furthermore, the inquiry uncovered that the private partner claimed to have transferred Rs. 126 crore to the Argentine Football Association (AFA) via a US-based intermediary. However, investigators found no banking records or documentary evidence to substantiate this transaction. 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 misrepresented as an official commitment letter to secure necessary clearances from the Union Sports Ministry and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Allegations Against Former Officials
The inquiry report also implicates former officials in the alleged irregularities. It strongly criticises former Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman for leading a high-profile delegation to Spain, ostensibly to finalise arrangements for the match. This trip reportedly cost the state exchequer Rs. 14 crore. Additionally, the report points to the irregular handover of the Kochi Kaloor Stadium to the private sponsor. The venue was transferred under the guise of renovation work for the match, accompanied by an unauthorised financial concession of Rs. 5 crore.
Another aspect of the report indicts former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and former Chief Secretary A Jayatilak. The inquiry suggests they disregarded established rules and procedures to expedite an event that lacked a formal commitment from the Argentine Football Association. Records reportedly show the former Chief Minister favoring Reporter Broadcasting Corporation (RBC), including the swift handover of the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium at Kaloor to the company.
The decision to waive the security deposit, rent, taxes, and other charges, amounting to over ₹5 crore, for RBC reportedly had the Chief Minister’s official sanction. The stadium was made available for construction work without final match confirmation, official FIFA/AIFF (All India Football Federation) registration, prior approval from the Law and Finance Departments, and without insurance or bank guarantee provisions as mandated by law. The stated goal was to upgrade the stadium to international standards.
The report states there is “clear evidence of a conscious attempt to circumvent the 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 arising from non-compliance with constitutional procedures.
Recommendations for Further Investigation
The report was particularly critical of the then Chief Secretary’s role, suggesting that the state government played a secondary role to a private company. It describes the large-scale deployment of government machinery and IAS officers for a private commercial venture, without ensuring necessary safeguards, as a “grave institutional failure of supervision at the highest level of the Secretariat,” indicating either “pre-planned connivance or plain ignorance of the basic rules.”
The inquiry characterises the entire episode as a multi-crore fraud with cross-border implications. It has recommended a comprehensive criminal investigation and urged the state government to transfer the case to the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau. The report also calls for central agencies to investigate potential money-laundering and Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) violations.
The report suggests that the leadership-level failure should be a principal charge in the proposed departmental inquiry, with responsibility assigned accordingly.
Source: thestatesman.com
