KOCHI: The controversy over the failed attempt to bring Lionel Messi and the Argentina football team to Kochi, Keralam has escalated, with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) preparing to investigate the alleged financial trail behind the event.
The ED’s Kochi unit is likely to register an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), based on allegations in a police case arising from the controversy over the proposed international friendly match in 2025.
The agency is expected to rely on the FIR registered by Kalamassery police on September 15, following a preliminary investigation by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to probe the matter. The police case contains allegations of cheating and conspiracy against Anto Augustine, authorised signatory of Reporter Broadcasting Private Limited, and the company.
According to the police investigation, the alleged conspiracy dates back to before December 20, 2024. The SIT has alleged that purportedly “illegal and fake” particulars were included in an agreement with the Argentina Football Association, allegedly to secure wrongful gain by misleading the government and the public.
The investigation also focuses on the alleged attempt to secure the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium at Kaloor without paying the Rs 5-crore security deposit. The FIR alleges that an exemption from the deposit was obtained on September 26, 2025.
The proposed ED probe assumes significance as the police investigation has brought several financial transactions involving crores of rupees to light. The agency is expected to examine the source, movement and utilisation of the funds and determine whether the alleged transactions generated proceeds of crime or were linked to money laundering.
Meanwhile, the SIT has intensified its investigation, conducting searches at five premises associated with the Anto brothers, including their ancestral house in Wayanad.
During one such operation, the Wayanad Excise Department allegedly recovered 67 litres of liquor, including suspected spurious liquor, from the ancestral property. A separate case was registered, and Anto Augustine was arrested in connection with the seizure. He was subsequently granted bail by the Kerala High Court.