Ex- football Secretary lodges complaint with Bribery Commission over fraud

By Susil Premalal

Sunil Senaweera (former FFSL Secretary) at the media conference yesterday

Former Secretary of the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL), Sunil Senaweera, filed a written complaint with the Commission to Investigate allegations of bribery or corruption (CIABOC) calling for an immediate probe into alleged financial fraud, misuse of funds, and irregular financial management said to have taken place during the past administration of the FFSL. 

The complaint was submitted yesterday.

Senaweera, who also serves as the Secretary of the Gampola Football League and has long experience as a FIFA referee, AFC instructor, and match commissioner, outlined his allegations under five main points. He further stated that despite the “Kusala Sarojani Investigation Report,” submitted two years ago, which highlighted several financial irregularities within the FFSL and made recommendations against those responsible, no legal action has yet been taken.

Speaking at a press briefing held in Colombo yesterday, Senaweera revealed that he had also raised these concerns both in writing and verbally with the current Minister of Sports and the Deputy Minister of Sports, but no action had been taken by the Ministry. He stressed that if a proper investigation is carried out, both wrongdoers and those not at fault could be clearly identified.

Senaweera added that Sri Lankan football has deteriorated severely due to the FFSL’s failure to conduct the country’s premier competition, the FA Cup, for the past five years, along with its inability to host several other top-tier tournaments. 

Although Sri Lanka has moved up in the FIFA rankings from 207th to 196th at the international level, he pointed out that domestically the game has declined sharply. As a result of this situation, the annual FIFA financial support allocated to Sri Lanka has also been reduced.