Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Roshan Ranasinghe has exposed a web of corruption within Sri Lanka’s cricket governing body. This revelation on alleged irregularities and questionable decisions made within the judiciary, raised concerns about the integrity of the nation’s cricket administration.
Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Roshan Ranasinghe made a passionate statement in Parliament today (08), calling attention to a critical decision now facing the President of Sri Lanka. He stated that the President must choose between Sudu Shammi and himself to rid Cricket of corruption within.
Minister Ranasinghe raised concerns about the actions of responsible officers in the Presidential Secretariat and Presidential Advisors, who, according to him, have taken measures to ban the Cricket Interim Committee. He questioned whether the President was fully informed about these actions
He also emphasized the need to investigate individuals closely associated with the staff:
“Who sent the press statement in the morning saying that the President was not informed, and the Cabinet was not informed. A lot of things are happening that the President does not know. Earlier, the President went to the media saying that he was talking about the ministerial position. The president doesn’t even know.”
Minister Ranasinghe concluded his statement by calling for an end to the ongoing corruption within the cricket administration.
“This has to stop…” said the minister.
In a separate parliamentary session, Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe delved further into the alleged corruption within Sri Lanka’s cricket governing body, unveiling a series of startling revelations:
“There are 04 Supreme Courts, 12 Courts of Appeal, 32 High Courts, 125 District and Magistrate Courts, this judicial system has more than 173 courts.”
He described how one courtroom, Room 301, had become embroiled in controversies related to the cricket association, which was previously untouched by legal troubles:
“There is a problem in one of the courtrooms in this pure judicial system. Innocent people go to court to demand justice. The judicial system of this country has not had any trouble so far. That judicial system was clean. But in room number 301, the scale in the hands of the goddess of law has weighed on the cricket association.”
Minister Ranasinghe detailed the shift in the types of cases heard by the President of the Court of Appeal and highlighted the connection between certain judges and individuals closely associated with the Cricket Board:
“Furthermore, according to the videos circulating on social media networks, Shammi Silva, who is very friendly and advisor to the Cricket Board, who has been appearing in cricket-related cases since the day Mr. Bandula Karunaratne was appointed as the President of the Court of Appeal, and who also works in the Cricket Association’s Election and Arbitration Board.”
He expressed his frustration at the court’s decisions, which he believed were influenced by the close ties between the judiciary and the Cricket Control Board:
“The interim restraining order given by the Court of Appeal judge against the Interim Control Board was given on the basis of his relationship with the Cricket Control Board’s associate.”
Minister Ranasinghe’s revelations led him to call for transparency, ethics, and an active role for the Bar Association of Sri Lanka in addressing these concerns:
“I am not making this accusation to undermine or defame the judiciary, but to let the general public know the truth.” Therefore, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka is also requested to look into this matter and join actively to establish the independence of the judiciary.
Minister Roshan Ranasinghe’s revelations in Parliament have sparked a national debate about the alleged corruption within Sri Lanka’s cricket governing body after the disappointing performance of Sri Lanka’s Cricket team during recent years. His calls for action and transparency are crucial steps in addressing these issues and ensuring the integrity of the nation’s beloved sport.
The government, legal authorities, and the general public now face the challenge of investigating and rectifying these alleged irregularities.
Interim Committee Appointed for Independent Investigation into Cricket Corruption
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