President Rajapaksa calls for report on allegations

by Lal Gunesekera

The Secretary to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Lalith Weeratunga has requested Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Jeevan Kumaratunga, to submit a report on the allegations to President Rajapaksa by the previous elected officials of SLC against the current Interim Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).

This was revealed by former SLC supremo, Thilanga Sumathipala, at a media briefing held on Thursday at the Taj Samudra Hotel. The meeting was also attended by Mohan de Silva (former President, SLC), Nuski Mohamed, Michael de Zoysa, Ravin Wickremaratne, Lawrence Amarasena, Bandula Dissanayake and Hashan Tillekeratne.

Sumathipala thanked President Rajapaksa who instructed Minister Kumaratunga to hold the annual general meeting of SLC (now scheduled for July 15). He said that his team will be announced on June 30, and was disturbed that the audited accounts have not been circulated by the Interim Committee though required by law, 30 days before the AGM.

He disclosed that a sum of Rs. 375 million has been spent by the Interim Committee over the past 15 months and the Committee have even awarded tenders to the value of over Rs. 200 million to unregistered suppliers and have even paid advances to the tune of over Rs. 60 million, disregarding all norms of governance and procedures, accounting and otherwise. Sumathipala also accused the Interim Committee of making false and misleading statements regarding finances of SLC.

He further said that he (Sumathipala) will never come forward to stand for any 'office' at SLC as long as Minister Kumaratunga held the portfolio of Sports as he had done a lot of damage to the game.

He said: "Minister Kumaratunga has got himself involved in numerous controversies and I cannot understand why President Rajapaksa continues to keep him. The Minister is not even fit to be a MP. But I have full of confidence in President Rajapaksa. He was the President of the Hambantota District CA when I was President of SLC.

The Interim Committee's mismanagement (including finances) will also be taken up in Parliament". Michael de Zoysa said that he was proud to be a member of Sumathipala's team and wondered whether any member of the Interim Committee had ever played cricket. He said: " They have cricket matches during the rainy season. They have no plan at all. The Provincial tournament was cancelled, Premier Championship teams increased from 16 to 20 and have even failed to play the relegation round.