Lionel Messi
Kochi: Enforcement Directorate (ED) has begun an investigation under Foreign Exchange Management Act (Fema) into the alleged financial remittances made in connection with arranging a visit of the 2022 football World Cup-winning Argentina team, including Lionel Messi . RBC had earlier said that Rs 126 crore was spent on trying to bring Messi to Kerala.
ED has registered a case and will investigate the Fema compliance of the dealings made as part of the planned visit, sources said. It will also probe whether the financial transactions made by the sponsor, Reporter Broadcasting Company (RBC), breached the provisions of the Act. The sports department report had also called for a VACB or special investigation team (SIT) scrutiny of selecting RBC as the sponsor, ministerial communications, alleged concessions to RBC and the use of the stadium. ED will investigate the channels through which funds were transferred overseas and whether any services were received in return for the payments. Whether RBC initiated genuine recovery proceedings to reclaim the money transferred abroad after the planned visit reportedly failed will also be probed.