Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 12 Keralam Governor Om Prakash Mathur has granted sanction to prosecute former Sports Minister V Abdurahiman under the Prevention of Corruption Act in connection with alleged irregularities in the failed bid to bring Lionel Messi-led Argentina football team to Kochi, official sources said on Thursday.
The Governor approved the file seeking permission to name Abdurahiman as an accused in the case involving alleged corruption and irregularities in the sponsorship arrangements for the proposed football event, they said.
Chief Minister V D Satheesan had last month forwarded the file to the Governor seeking sanction to prosecute the former minister.
The previous LDF government had made efforts to host a football match featuring the Argentina team in Kerala last year.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted by the UDF government, had earlier registered a case against the company that sponsored the proposed event and its managing director.
According to sources, the SIT recently questioned Abdurahiman as part of the investigation, which allegedly revealed that he had taken the initiative to select the sponsoring company.
The probe also found alleged irregularities in the facilities extended to the sponsoring firm for organising the event, including the handing over of the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in Kochi, owned by the Greater Cochin Development Authority, officials said.
The SIT, based on its investigation, submitted a report to Satheesan recommending that Abdurahiman be named as an accused in the case.
As Abdurahiman had served as a minister in the previous LDF government, the chief minister forwarded the file to Lok Bhavan seeking the Governor’s sanction, officials said.
Satheesan had also granted permission to the SIT to name Abdurahiman’s personal secretary Sathyapalan and former Kerala State Sports Council president U Sharaf Ali as accused in the case.
The SIT has already initiated an investigation against the two, sources said.
Meanwhile, while reacting to the media on the Governor’s sanction to prosecute Abdurahiman, state Sports Minister O J Janeesh alleged that the government machinery and its name were misused to collect money in connection with the failed visit of the Argentine football team to Keralam.
The previous LDF government, the then Sports Minister and former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, had all supported the move, he alleged.
Vijayan himself had repeatedly assured that Messi would visit Keralam, Janeesh said, questioning the basis on which such assurances were made.
The sponsor had claimed that an agreement was signed with the Argentina team, but the details of the reported contract were not available with the previous government, he alleged.
The entire deal was handled in a highly secretive manner, the minister said, adding that all those who were involved in or supported any corruption in the matter would be prosecuted.
The misuse of government machinery would also be treated as a loss to the government, the minister added.
(PTI News)
