(LANKAPUVATH | COLOMBO) – The Ministry of Sports is preparing to take the necessary legal measures as per the order given by the Attorney General’s Department to the Special Investigation Unit of the Ministry of Sports to file criminal charges against former Sri Lankan cricketer Sachithra Senanayake over match-fixing.
The Attorney General’s Department Sunday informed the Sports Ministry that sufficient evidence has been gathered to support the charges.
Accordingly, a special meeting will be held today between Secretary of the Ministry of Sports K. Mahesan and the Director General of Sports Dr. Shemal Fernando. The files related to Sachithra Senanayake in the special police investigation unit set up to prevent cheating in sports matches are to be examined during the meeting.
When inquired, the Director General of Sports, Dr. Shemal Fernando, has said that they hope to proceed further after checking the documents.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) charged that the former Sri Lanka off-spinner Sachithra Senanayake made phone calls to two cricketers who participated in the first edition of the Lanka Premier League in 2020 to encourage them to ‘fix’ matches during the tournament. Two mobile phones belonging to him were also seized there.
The investigation has been completed and since sufficient facts have been revealed against him, the Attorney General’s Department has informed the Ministry of Sports to file criminal charges under the Prevention of Offences Relating to Sports Act, No. 24 of 2019.
However, Sachithra Senanayake earlier denied the allegations and made a statement that the allegations were fabricated by some people with the intention of defaming and slandering him. In addition, Sachithra filed an anticipatory bail application in the Colombo Magistrate’s Court to prevent his arrest on match-fixing charges in March 2021, but the Magistrate rejected it.
On November 22, 2019, corruption in sports became a punishable offense with the enactment of the Prevention of Offences Related to Sports Act, and legal experts point out that Sachithra’s case will be the first trial after the enactment of the law.
A person, who commits an offense specified in the Prevention of Sports Offenses Act shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding 100 million Sri Lankan rupees or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years or to both such fine and imprisonment.
The 38-year-old T20 World Cup-winning cricketer who played only one Test match for Sri Lanka, has taken 53 wickets in 49 one-day international matches, 25 wickets in 24 T20 matches and 9 wickets in 8 Sri Lankan Premier League matches.
