Messi Keralam visit row: Govt lost over Rs 22 crore, action to follow after probe, says CM Satheesan

Thiruvananthapuram (Keralam) [India], August 19 (ANI): Keralam Chief Minister VD Satheesan on Tuesday said the inquiry into the controversy surrounding football icon Lionel Messi's proposed visit to the state has been completed and the state government will take action based on the recommendations, while noting that the alleged irregularities have caused a loss of more than Rs 22 crore to the state exchequer.
CM Satheesan said the Sports Department had completed its examination of the matter and the recommendations would now be forwarded to the concerned department. He also said the GST Department has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged GST fraud linked to the controversy.
"The examination related to the issue has been completed, and a decision will be taken soon based on the complaint submitted by the Sports Department Secretary. The inquiry has been completed, and recommendations on the action to be taken will be sent to the concerned department," Satheesan said.
"The GST Department has constituted a Special Investigation Team to probe the alleged GST fraud. As I had said earlier, there has been a GST irregularity. This was not something discovered by our government; the previous LDF government itself had detected it and issued a notice. The subsequent freezing of the proceedings will also be investigated. The government has suffered a loss of more than Rs 22 crore in this matter," he added.
The controversy relates to the proposed visit of Argentina men's football team and Messi to Keralam for a friendly match, which was postponed after sponsors cited delays in obtaining FIFA permission. According to Olympics.com, the Argentina team were expected to play Australia at Kochi's Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium during an international window, but the proposed fixture did not materialise.
Last week, Satheesan had questioned the process through which a private company was permitted to enter into an agreement with the Argentine Football Association (AFA) for the proposed tour.
"The government had a role in the proposal that Messi would come to Kerala and play. So, what was the procedure followed in allowing a private company to enter into an agreement with the Argentine Football Association? Was an Expression of Interest invited? Was the company's market value, financial capacity or source of funds examined? These are all matters that need to be looked into," CM Satheesan had said last week.
Messi later visited India as part of the 'GOAT India Tour', travelling to Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi, but did not visit Kerala.
Satheesan had also earlier said the previous LDF government could not distance itself from the controversy.
"There is a major controversy surrounding the matter. I have received a report from the Sports Department, and it is being examined seriously. The report contains serious allegations, and the investigation report is now before the government. The government cannot simply wash its hands of the matter," he had said.
On Tuesday, Satheesan reiterated that the government would act after the completion of the inquiry and that the GST investigation would examine the alleged irregularities and the subsequent freezing of proceedings. (ANI)