by Saman Indrajith

Parliamentary watchdog committee –COPE (Committee on Public Enterprises) has issued instructions to the Secretary to the Ministry of Sports Anuradha Wijekoon to take legal action against the former members of the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Executive Committee and its CEO Ashley de Silva, parliament sources said yesterday.

COPE Chairman Prof Charitha Herath instructed Sports Ministry Secretary Wijekoon to obtain the assistance of Attorney General Dappula De Livera to institute legal action against the former SLC exco members.

The instructions had been issued following a COPE investigation on SLC held at the Parliamentary complex on Tuesday.

The COPE probe was for the purpose of examining the Auditor General’s report for the financial years 2017 and 2018 of SLC and its current performance.

Ministers Mahinda Amaraweera, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, State Minister D.V Chanaka, MPs Patali Champika Ranawaka, Eran Wickramaratne, S.M Marikkar, Nalin Bandara, Premanath C. Dolawatta and S. Rasamanikkam were present at the inquiry.

The probe found that that 123 out of the 162 approved cadres of Sri Lanka Cricket were on contract, which was a matter of serious concern. The Committee also pointed out that the posts of Head of Finance, Legal Officer, Information Technology Officer and Internal Auditor should be permanent positions.

COPE recommended that the procurement process of Sri Lanka Cricket be streamlined and that a proper system be introduced.

COPE was of the view that the intervention of the Director General of Sports should be at a higher level than at present.

It also recommended that Sri Lanka Cricket should develop a proper format for disbursing funds to sports associations.

COPE directed the Ministry of Sports and Sri Lanka Cricket to see that the Sports Act is amended expeditiously.

COPE chairman Prof. Charitha Herath pointed out that the reason for the massive collapse of cricket in the country was not the fault of the players but the weaknesses of the cricket administration.

When COPE questioned the non-recovery of Rs. 29 million in revenue due for sponsorship of the South Africa-Sri Lanka Cricket tour in 2018, the Chief Executive Officer of SLC Ashley de Silva informed the committee that the CID had commenced an investigation into the matter. It was revealed at that the money had been deposited in a bank account in the USA named ‘Diamond Channel’ and that the investigations were focused on how it happened.

Prof. Herath instructed the Secretary to the Ministry of Sports Anuradha Wijekoon to conduct an inquiry in this regard and submit the report to the Committee within three months.

It was also revealed at the meeting that Rs. 30 million had been spent to institute legal action against former head coach of Sri Lanka Cricket Chandika Hathurusinghe pertaining to the shortcomings of his agreement .

Attention was drawn to the fact that Rs. 132 million had been spent for the construction of a National Cricket Stadium and a Multi-Sports Complex in the Hingurakgoda area in Polonnaruwa, but that a title deed had not been obtained for the relevant land as yet. COPE directed the Ministry of Sports to take immediate action to resolve the issue.

COPE also paid special attention to the continuation of construction advances of Rs. 7,764,050 given to the Cricket Associations in the years 2007, 2008, 2016 and 2017 and match advances of Rs.10,292,337 paid from 2015 to 2019 without settlement.

COPE was of the view that a number of such issues have arisen in SLC due to the non-implementation of the Procurement Guidelines and that the institution should operate within an accepted framework.

Officials from the Ministry of Sports as well as officials from Sri Lanka Cricket were present at the meeting. Several former officials of the SLC Executive Committee were present at the Parliament premises to attend the meeting but were not allowed to attend due to the expiration of their tenure on the previous day.