Investigation Launched into Messis Proposed Kerala Tour Agreement Amid Allegations of Irregularities

Thiruvananthapuram, August 13: Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan announced on Thursday that a thorough investigation is underway regarding a controversial agreement with the Argentina Football Association (FA) related to Lionel Messi’s proposed tour of Kerala in 2025. Initial reports have revealed serious flaws and potential GST violations in the agreement.

Satheesan stated that the deal was awarded to a private company without inviting an ‘Expression of Interest.’ Furthermore, the state government was not provided with accurate information regarding this matter.

“We are taking this issue very seriously,” the Chief Minister emphasized. He noted that if GST violations are confirmed, the finance department will take steps to recover any losses incurred by the treasury.

According to Satheesan, initial findings also indicated that the GST issue was identified during the previous government’s tenure but was subsequently shelved.

The government will also investigate whether the state’s interests were adequately protected and will hold accountable those responsible where necessary.

Regarding the Meta controversy, the Chief Minister clarified that his only request was related to the official Instagram account of the Chief Minister’s office. He dismissed allegations that he contacted Meta to remove critical posts against him.

Satheesan stated, “Members of the Left wrote to Meta to remove my interview from a major TV channel, and now they are making the same accusations against me. This is completely baseless.”

He expressed his willingness to write to Meta to restore the posts that were removed about him and pledged support to media organizations on this issue.

In the meantime, the cabinet has decided to provide ₹2 lakh to each family affected by the 2024 Wayanad disaster, allocating a total of ₹5 crore for this purpose.

Guidelines for granting Onam bonuses to PSU employees for 2025-26 have also been approved. The Chief Minister announced that a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) will soon be declared to address cases of fishermen missing at sea.