Inquiry Reveals Procedural Lapses and Financial Irregularities
An official inquiry report from the Kerala Sports Department has identified significant financial and procedural irregularities surrounding 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, was vetted by Sports Department Special Secretary N. Prasanth.
The investigation indicates serious violations of government regulations and an alleged misuse of state resources. One key finding was the unilateral selection of Reporter Broadcasting Corporation (RBC) as the event’s commercial partner, bypassing any public tender or competitive bidding process.
The report also states 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.
Furthermore, a legally binding tripartite agreement involving the state government, the AFA, and the sponsor was not executed. Instead, a generic 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 strongly implicated former Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman for leading a high-profile delegation to Spain under the guise of finalising arrangements for the match. This trip allegedly cost the state exchequer Rs. 14 crore.
The report also highlighted the irregular handover of the Kochi Kaloor Stadium to the private sponsor. The venue was transferred under the pretext of renovation work for the match, accompanied by an unauthorised financial concession of Rs. 5 crore.
The inquiry report on the proposed Lionel Messi visit also implicates former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and former Chief Secretary A Jayatilak. It suggests they disregarded mandated rules and procedures to fast-track an event that lacked a formal commitment from the Argentine Football Association.
Records unearthed by the inquiry, led by N. Prasanth, show how the former Chief Minister allegedly favoured Reporter Broadcasting Corporation (RBC). The swift handover of the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium at Kaloor to RBC is cited as an example. The decision to waive the security deposit, rent, taxes, and other charges, amounting to over ₹5 crore, reportedly had the Chief Minister’s official sanction.
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 goal was to upgrade the stadium to international standards.
The inquiry report states there is clear evidence of a conscious attempt to circumvent rules. It 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 play a secondary role to a private company. It describes the extensive deployment of government machinery and IAS officers for a private commercial venture, without ensuring safeguards, as a grave institutional failure of supervision at the highest level of the Secretariat, indicating either pre-planned connivance or a lack of basic rule knowledge.
The report asserts that the Chief Secretary, in coordinating matters involving multiple state departments and central government clearances, had a specific responsibility to ensure compliance with rules, completion of financial and legal scrutiny, final consent from the AFA, and approval from FIFA/AIFF. It also highlights the need to ensure transparent sponsor selection, exclusion of government liability, and safeguarding of public assets.
Recommendations for Further Action
Characterising the incident as a multi-crore fraud with cross-border implications, the inquiry committee has recommended a comprehensive criminal investigation. The report urges the state government to transfer the case to the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau.
It also calls for central agencies to investigate potential money laundering and violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). The report recommends that leadership-level failure be included as a principal charge in the proposed departmental inquiry, with responsibility fixed accordingly.
Source: thestatesman.com
