ED registers money laundering case over Messi's Kerala visit

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) regarding alleged financial irregularities in the failed attempt to bring Lionel Messi, the former captain and member of Argentina's national football team, to Kochi, Kerala, for an international friendly match in 2025.

According to a report by The Hindu, the Kochi unit of the ED has registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against Reporter Broadcasting Company Private Limited and its authorised signatory Anto Augustine. This action is based on a First Information Report (FIR) filed by the Kalamassery police on September 15, 2026. The FIR was registered upon the representation of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the Messi controversy.

Sources indicate that as part of the investigation, the central agency may soon issue a notice to Anto Augustine for questioning. The FIR alleges that the accused hatched a criminal conspiracy before December 20, 2024. Under this conspiracy, "illegal and fake" details were added to the agreement made with the Argentina Football Association. It is stated that this was done with the intention of earning profit by defrauding the state government and the public.

Furthermore, the FIR also alleges that the accused conspired to gain possession of the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in Kaloor on September 26, 2025. For this purpose, they obtained an exemption from a security deposit of ₹5 crore.

In this matter, the SIT conducted search operations at five locations linked to the Anto brothers, including their ancestral home in Wayanad. During this, the Wayanad Excise Department registered a separate case. Anto Augustine was arrested after a total of 67 litres of liquor, including suspicious spurious liquor, were seized from the ancestral home. However, he was subsequently granted bail by the Kerala High Court.