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The Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) officially complained to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption against former sports minister Roshan Ranasinghe on December 4.
The complaint revolves around the alleged misappropriation of funds released by SLC intended for the development of various sports disciplines. The move by SLC comes in the aftermath of President Ranil Wickremesinghe's decision to remove Ranasinghe from his post on November 27.
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“The decision to file this complaint stems from the concern that Roshan Ranasinghe MP has not appropriately disclosed the utilisation of funds allocated by SLC for the intended purposes,” the Lankan board said in a press release.
“This comes in the wake of a discernible disparity between the information disclosed to the media by Ranasinghe MP and the response received by SLC under a Right to Information (RTI) application, outlining the specifics of the expenditures made,” the release added.
This development unfolds just ahead of a scheduled hearing by a court of appeal on November 28, about a case initiated by SLC against Ranasinghe. The case specifically addresses Ranasinghe's controversial decision to dismiss the cricket governing body and appoint an interim committee led by Arjuna Ranatunga, the former World Cup-winning captain.
The court is anticipated to consider the viewpoints of Harin Fernando, Ranasinghe's successor in the sports ministry, regarding the gazette issued by his predecessor, which led to the removal of the SLC management under Shammi Silva.
Ranasinghe's decision to terminate the Silva administration followed months of a standoff between the two parties, with Ranasinghe basing his action on a government audit report that accused Silva's SLC management of corruption.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) responded promptly to the political interference, opting to suspend SLC. This suspension had immediate repercussions, as the ICC Under-19 World Cup, originally scheduled to take place in Sri Lanka in January, was relocated to South Africa due to the ongoing issues within the Sri Lankan cricket administration.
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