3 weeks ago

Kerala Messi Event Probe Flags Irregularities Under Vijayan Government

Kerala Messi Event Probe Flags Irregularities Under Vijayan Government
Kerala Messi event probe flags irregularities and protocol lapses under Vijayan government - Telegraph India · telegraphindia.com

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.

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

Sources

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