3 weeks ago
Kerala Messi Event Probe Flags Irregularities Under Vijayan Government
A long time ago, the leader of a place called Kerala wanted to bring a very famous footballer named Lionel Messi and his team to play a match.
The problem is that Messi's football club never agreed to come, but the leaders announced it anyway and started getting ready.
A special inspector named N. Prasanth was asked to look into what happened.
His report says the leaders did not follow the proper rules and made mistakes.
The report also found that a company said it gave the football association a huge amount of money, but there is no proof the money was actually sent.
The inspector had been suspended before, but after a new government was elected, he was brought back to finish his work.
The report blames the top leaders for not checking things properly.
It says the whole plan was pushed through even though the football association had not said yes.
So, the big lesson is that officials made plans without making sure everything was agreed first.
Now people are talking about whether the leaders broke the rules.
An inquiry report by Kerala sports department special secretary N. Prasanth found irregularities and protocol lapses in the proposed visit of Lionel Messi and the Argentinian team.
Then chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, sports minister V. Abdurahman and chief secretary A. Jayathilak announced the event despite lacking any commitment from the Argentine Football Association (AFA).
Sponsor Reporter Broadcasting Company Pvt Ltd reportedly paid ₹126 crore to the AFA, but the report found no evidence of the money transfer.
An invitation mail sent by Abdurahman's office to the AFA received no confirmation.
The report calls the episode a failure of institutional supervision at secretariat level; Prasanth, earlier suspended during Vijayan's tenure, was reinstated after the Congress-led UDF government came to power.
- Who
- Kerala sports department special secretary N. Prasanth, whose inquiry covered then chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, sports minister V. Abdurahman and chief secretary A. Jayathilak.
- What
- An inquiry report that found irregularities and protocol lapses in the proposed visit of Lionel Messi and the Argentinian team to Kerala.
- Where
- Kerala, India.
- When
- The inquiry concerns the period of the LDF government's tenure; the report was submitted after the Congress-led UDF government was voted to power.
- Why
- The event was announced and prepared without any commitment from the Argentine Football Association, and a ₹126 crore payment by the sponsor reportedly has no evidence of transfer.
Key facts
- Event
- Proposed visit of Lionel Messi and the Argentinian team for an exhibition match in Kerala
- Inquiry official
- N. Prasanth, special secretary, Kerala sports department
- Officials named
- Pinarayi Vijayan, V. Abdurahman, A. Jayathilak
- Sponsor
- Reporter Broadcasting Company Pvt Ltd
- Amount paid to AFA
- ₹126 crore (no evidence of transfer found)
- AFA response
- No commitment obtained; no confirmation to invitation mail
- Key finding
- Failure of institutional supervision at secretariat level and non-compliance with file procedures
Quotes
N. Prasanth, Kerala sports department special secretary
Author of the inquiry report into the Messi event proposal
“The file clearly shows that this was a project sought to be directly implemented by the Hon’ble chief minister, the former Hon’ble minister and his office and the chief secretary. If the state administrative machinery was activated under the leadership of the chief secretary without such documentary foundation, it was not an ordinary failure of coordination; it was prima facie, a failure of institutional supervision at secretariat level to ensure compliance with the rules of business”
telegraphindia.com









