Ranjan files complaint at Bribery Commission

Deputy Minister Ranjan Ramanayake yesterday lodged a complaint with the Bribery Commission against former Minister of Sports Dayasiri Jayasekera, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Chairman Thilanga Sumathiapla, SLC CEO Ashley de Silva and other office bearers of the premier governing body of SLC.

Actor turned politician Ramanayake said the Bribery Commission accepted the complaint and informed him that a reference number for the case will be provided later.

“I lodged a complaint against a host of scandals involving Sri Lanka’s cricket naming SLC Chief Sumathipala, former Minister Jayasekra and other office bearers of SLC as respondents,” he said.

My complaints included alleged match-fixing, frauds regarding broadcasting rights. I was able to find out more information other than the one I disclosed at my media briefing on April 23 2018.

Ramanayake reiterated that he is concerned about the fate of cricket in Sri Lanka and blamed the alleged scandals for the recent setbacks suffered by the county during the recent past.

He said he was not the only one who had lodged complaints against the officials of SLC.

“Several other parties including some of the cricketers have lodged complaints with the Bribery Commission against the SLC but I cannot reveal their names now,” he added.

“Therefore, I am not the only one who is levelling allegations at SLC.” The Deputy Minister earlier claimed that he had been questioned by the Anti-Corruption officials of the International Cricket Council (ICC) as part of its investigations into allegations of corruption at SLC.
He told a media briefing that two officials from the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit, including
Alex Marshall (ICC’s General Manager- ACU) had met him recently and had inquired from him about the alleged scandals involving Sri Lankan Cricket.

Ramanayake revealed that he had told the ICC officials everything he knew. Ramanayake questioned about Sumathipala’s eligibility to run for the SLC Presidency quoting the Sports Law, No. 25 of 1973) which outlines the requirements anyone who wants to contest for the post must fulfill.
He argued that one clause of the Act is that if a person functioned as a professional journalist attached to any media organisation as a paid employee or as a freelance journalist in electronic or print media or who is an owner or beneficial owner or co-owner or a major shareholder of a media organisation two years prior to the submission of nominations.

He quoted the Sports Law further and said a person engaged in selling or supplying sports goods, sports gear or any item or equipment relating to such sport to such National Association of Sports and had been carrying out a business of gaming, betting or wagering four years prior to the submission of nomination is ineligible to contest for the presidency.

Ramanayake levelled several allegations against the SLC administration, including corruption, sexual assault and abuse of cricket board funds.

The Deputy Minister also claimed that a top SLC official had tried to bribe him in an attempt to stop him from disclosing information on corruption.

Ramanayake had already come out with several allegations of corruption involving Sri Lankan cricket including an ‘insurance scam’ where the Honorary Executive Committee members were given life insurances policies valued exorbitantly, making a payment of Rs1.4 million to two prominent music artistes for the composing of a song and making payments to several media institutions for articles and giving them foreign tours.

Deputy Minister also alleged that SLC had paid a monk Rs. 25 million for a land to develop a cricket university which he said the existence is questionable.

Deputy Minister said he will also lodge complaints with the FCID and brief both President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe about the scandals involving Sri Lankan cricket. (Yohan Perera)