# Kerala opens probe into ₹156 crore GST evasion in Messi deal 2026-08-13T13:16:42+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan confirmed that the Finance department is investigating suspected GST evasion of ₹156 crore on foreign remittances made by a television news company to the Argentine Football Association for a planned Lionel Messi visit in 2025. The probe will also examine whether government officials aided the evasion, after the previous LDF government's finance wing flagged the matter but took no further enforcement action. A Vigilance inquiry may follow if government funds are found to have been involved, causing loss to the exchequer. The Sports department report alleges the sponsor transferred ₹126 crore to AFA without a signed contract, a potential FEMA violation, and that former sports minister V. Abdurahiman's trip to Spain to meet AFA officials cost the state ₹13 lakh without required clearances. CM Satheesan said the government has no records of the event and will decide on referring the case to central agencies in the coming days. ## Coverage - thehindu.com - thefederal.com Tags: FEMA, GST evasion, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kerala, Lionel Messi, Vigilance inquiry Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/kerala-messi-visit-vigilance-inquiry-hinges-on-fund-loss-proof/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/kerala-messi-visit-vigilance-inquiry-hinges-on-fund-loss-proof/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.