Kerala's cancelled Messi tour: Did Pinarayi government amend its own order to secure private firm's interests?

The Pinarayi Vijayan government in Kerala amended a government order at the request of sponsor Reporter Broadcasting Company (RBC) as part of its efforts to bring Lionel Messi to Kerala—a plan that ultimately failed. Originally, the LDF government had designated the Sports Kerala Foundation, a Kerala government undertaking, as the special-purpose vehicle for organising friendly matches in the state, including the proposed Argentina match.

Later, after RBC came on board as the sponsor, the government, at its request, granted the company permission to conduct a friendly match involving the Argentina team in the state under RBC’s sponsorship. Notably, RBC subsequently sought further amendments to the original government order. On January 7, 2025, the Kerala government issued an order authorising RBC to enter into an agreement with the Argentine Football Association (AFA).

Notably, the inquiry report by the Sports Department, submitted to the UDF government, notes that it was unusual for a private commercial sponsor to demand that the bilateral terms between itself and a foreign football association be incorporated into a government order. It describes this as a deliberate attempt to use the government to secure the company’s commercial interests.

The Special Secretary’s inquiry report says the previous government authorising RBC to enter into an agreement with the AFA could potentially be interpreted as a private entity representing the state.

Interestingly, the report also states that the government has not received even a single copy of the agreement entered into between the private company and the AFA.

The report also states that by allowing expressions such as "government initiative" and "department oversight" to be incorporated, without approval of the law department, in a private international agreement to which the government was not a party, a substantial third-party legal liability was created for the government.

A “curious” avatar in the mail trail

The Special Secretary’s report recommends an investigation into the conduct of ministerial-level email communications. It has come to light that a college assistant professor acted as an intermediary in communications between Kerala’s Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman and the Argentine Football Association.

Ameera V.U., also known as Ameera Ayshabegum, an assistant professor in the English Department of Ponnani MES College, admitted to THE WEEK that she had access to official communications exchanged between former Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman, sponsor RBC and the Argentine Football Association (AFA) regarding Lionel Messi’s proposed visit to Kerala.

Ameera was also copied on an email sent by Pablo J. Díaz, then Head of International Relations at the AFA, to the Sports Minister, stating that the AFA had received $9 million. She said that, initially, she had communicated with the AFA on behalf of both the sponsor and the former minister and had drafted emails for both parties.

Ameera said she was personally acquainted with Díaz, who was then the AFA’s Head of International Partnerships. She said that, as a football enthusiast, she became involved out of curiosity and voluntarily initiated online communication with Díaz.

However, she acknowledged that she was involved in the email communications in no official capacity. Her involvement in the minister’s official correspondence, despite holding no formal role in the negotiations or the government’s arrangement with the AFA, raises questions about the procedural lapses in the handling of the deal.