Argentine footballer Lionel Messi
The home department’s order says the findings of the sports department’s inquiry were serious enough to warrant an investigation beyond the scope of a departmental inquiry. “The SIT had been constituted following the controversy surrounding the announcement that Messi would be brought to Kerala,” home minister Ramesh Chennithala told reporters at Murickassery in Idukki. The director general of prosecution had also recommended an SIT probe into the findings. The circumstances in which govt orders, permissions, concessions and waivers were granted, as well as the way public assets were made available for the event, will also come under investigation. The role and responsibility of govt officials, private individuals, companies, intermediaries and other entities at different stages of the project will form another part of the investigation. Significantly, the govt order directs the SIT to examine whether the facts disclose offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act or any other applicable law. If the investigation establishes the need for legal action, the SIT has been directed to initiate such action promptly.
Thiruvananthapuram: The state govt on Thursday ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the proposed visit of footballer Lionel Messi and the Argentina national football team to Kerala and the arrangements made for the event, with ADGP (law and order) P Vijayan heading the team.