Kerala Widens Lionel Messi Event Probe, Ex-Sports Minister Likely To Be Quizzed
The probe into an alleged scam related to bringing football star Lionel Messi to Kerala for a 2025 match has expanded, with the Special Investigation Team (SIT) briefing the Home Minister and raiding premises linked to a news channel. The investigation, which has already yielded crucial evidence, may now include questioning former Sports Minister V Abdurahiman and the owner of Reporter TV, Anto Augustine, who was recently arrested on other charges.
Why it matters
This investigation highlights potential corruption and financial irregularities within government and media sectors in Kerala, impacting public trust and accountability regarding large-scale public events and the use of public resources.
The probe into the alleged scam linked to bringing football star Lionel Messi to Kerala has widened, with the head of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) briefing Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on the progress of the inquiry.A probe is being conducted into alleged irregularities in the previous government's move to host Argentina's national team's match featuring Messi in Kochi in 2025.Sources said the investigation may now extend to the former Sports Minister V Abdurahiman.The SIT on Wednesday raided the Kochi headquarters of Malayalam news channel Reporter TV and premises linked to its promoters as part of a probe into alleged financial irregularities surrounding the failed event.The searches, conducted at five locations in Kochi and Wayanad, including the office of the Reporter Broadcasting Company, the residences of its promoters, the…
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