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Keralam Sports Minister O J Janeesh on Thursday said the state government is examining the circumstances surrounding the proposed last year's visit of football icon Lionel Messi and the Argentina team to the State, stressing that the focus is on alleged procedural lapses and lack of clarity in the government's dealings with a private event management company.
Janeesh said the Sports Department's report on the matter has already been submitted to Chief Minister V D Satheesan, who will take a decision after examining it. "The Sports Department's report has been submitted to the Chief Minister, who has already made it clear that a decision will be taken after examining it," Janeesh said. He said the issue goes beyond whether the state government incurred any financial loss and questioned the due diligence followed while selecting the private company involved in the proposed event. "The issue is not simply whether the state government suffered a financial loss. The key question is whether the government followed the required due diligence. How was the private event management company selected? How did the government entrust the responsibility to them?" he said. Janeesh also flagged the absence of several documents, including the agreement between the parties, from government records. "Simply saying that there was an agreement is not enough. Several documents, including the agreement between the parties, are not available with the government. The government appears to have supported a private agreement without having complete clarity about it. Such matters require a detailed examination, and that is what is currently being done," he said. The proposed Messi visit had generated considerable excitement in Keralam after Argentina's plans for a friendly against Australia at Kochi's Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium were announced. According to Olympics.com, the match was subsequently postponed, with sponsors citing delays in receiving FIFA permission and indicating that it could be rescheduled for another international window. However, Messi later visited India as part of his 'GOAT India Tour', travelling to Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi, without a Keralam leg being confirmed. Janeesh said the government had no reason to act as an intermediary in a major commercial agreement involving a private company. "There has been a lack of clarity from the very beginning. There was no reason for the government to act as an intermediary for a major commercial agreement involving a private company," he said. He, however, rejected suggestions that the examination was aimed at targeting individuals or settling political scores. "We are not acting against anyone out of personal or political vendetta, as some private channels may suggest. The examination is being conducted based on the complaints received," Janeesh said. He added that the government would decide on further action after examining the report. "The government will examine the matter and decide what kind of further investigation is required. There is no question of targeting or settling scores with anyone. The complaint was about the circumstances in which the government became involved in the proposal that Messi would come to Kerala. The inquiry is focused on the irregularities and lack of clarity that emerged during the examination," he said. (ANI)
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