Thiruvananthapuram: The report submitted to the state government early last month by the special investigation team (SIT) led by ADGP P P Vijayan pointed out multiple violations of rules and procedures by former Sports Minister V Abdurahiman in the Messi issue. These included selecting the sponsor, flouting rules, moving files and bypassing government departments, and awarding suspicious contracts.

As per the SIT report, the former Sports Minister, his personal staff, officials in the Sports Department and the sponsor engaged in criminal conspiracy from December 2024 under the pretext of arranging a visit of the Argentina football team to Keralam.

The preliminary report was prepared by the SIT after including the facts it collected after questioning Abdurahiman at Malappuram for three hours in September this year.

Major points against ex-minister
The SIT says Reporter Broadcasting Company (RBC) was selected as the sponsor of the programme to bring Argentina, led by the legendary Lionel Messi, without following all procedures, even without inviting tenders. Aspects such as the financial capacity of RBC, which had a capital of a mere ₹10 lakh, the firm’s past performance or the criminal cases filed against the sponsor were not considered.

The sponsor was allowed to collect funds on a large scale and earn big amounts from advertisements under the guise of a government-linked programme.

The SIT also accuses Abdurahiman of forging documents indicating the Argentina team's willingness to play in Keralam and cheating the government. It says that the necessary approvals were arranged for the sponsor to transfer money abroad, citing an agreement that was not signed. Abdurahiman has been accused of cheating the government and the people by announcing the arrival of the Argentina team even before an official confirmation was issued by the authorities in the South American country.

In yet another allegation, the SIT says that the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium at Kaloor in Kochi was handed over to the sponsor without an agreement. Additionally, the transfer was carried out at a discount of ₹5 crore, causing a big loss to the government.

The SIT found that Abdurahiman had helped the sponsor sign a fake deal with Argentina on behalf of the state government before the government approved the agreement. Official documents, including the minister's email ID, were misused to prepare the fake agreement without government approval.

U Sharaf Ali, president of the Kerala Sports Council, a government body, signed as a witness to the fake agreement between the sponsor and the Argentinian authorities. C Sathyapalan, a member of the minister’s personal staff, intervened to move the related files and facilitate the sponsor to earn financial benefits, bypassing the Sports Department.

Reacting to the issue, Sports Minister O J Janeesh said that the aim of the former government was financial fraud. “Their goal in bringing Messi to the state was not organising a football match,” he said.

“The entire government machinery was misused citing an agreement that was not even signed. The former minister cannot evade responsibility in the entire affair,” said Janeesh.

“A comprehensive probe is necessary into the corruption behind the Argentina deal. The investigation will cover every person who committed the fraud,” added Janeesh.