The scope of the ongoing audit of accounts of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India for alleged financial irregularities has been expanded to cover the period from 2008-09 to 2020-21, which coincides with the tenure of ousted president Praful Patel.

Last month, the CAG constituted a team to conduct an audit of the AIFF’s accounts for the last four financial years with an instruction from higher authorities to “go deep into the details”.

But in what could spell more trouble for the AIFF, the period of the audit has been extended, according to a memo issued to the football body by the office of the Director General of Audit in New Delhi.

Patel took over as full-time AIFF president in October 2009 before being re-elected to the top post in December 2012 and 2016. He was removed from office by the Supreme Court on May 18 after exceeding his tenure as AIFF president.

“It is intimated that with approval of our HQ’s office, the audit programme has been revised from 17.05.2022 to 20.06.2022 for the audit of financial year 2008-09 to 2020-21 in continuation of previous audit as already intimated... dated 17.05.2022,” an audit memo read.

“In this regard, it is requested necessary instructions may also please be issued to all the concerned officers/ officials to furnish all the requisitioned information/ record of mentioned time period promptly.”

The Director General of Audit conducts audits in conformity with Auditing Standards issued by the CAG.

Patel’s third term in office was to end in December 2020 but he cited a case in the Supreme Court, which had been pending since 2017, to extend his executive committee’s term while refusing to hold elections till the issue of a new constitution was settled by the top court.

This forced the court to appoint a three-member Committee of Administrators (CoA) headed by former top court judge Anil Ramesh Dave to manage the affairs of the AIFF and adoption of its constitution in line with the National Sports Code and model guidelines.

(With inputs from PTI)