Panduka Keerthinanda, the legal advisor of Sri Lanka’s Sports Minister Harin Fernando and one of the most reputed lawyer of the country, on Friday sent a letter of demand of 500 million rupees to former cricket board President Thilanga Sumathipala, Cricket Age reliably learns.
The letter reads :
Hon. Thilanga Sumathipala M.P.
No.59, Campbell Place,
Colombo 10.
Dear Sir,
I write on the instruction of my client Mr. Panduka Keerthinanda, Attorney at Law, No. 25, School Avenue, Nawala Road, Rajagiriya.
My client is a renowned senior and respected Attorney at Law in active practice of 26 years and is in good standing before the bench and bar. He possesses an unimpeached reputation. He is also a leading expert on Sports Law and Sports Administration in that
[a] he has been Legal Advisor to Minister of Sports from 2011 to 2015 when Hon. Mahindanada Aluthgamage M.P. was the Minister of Sports; [b] he has been member of the National Sport Council from 2012 to 2015; [c] he has been a member of Delegation of Government of Sri Lanka and Ministry of Sports for meetings with International Olympic Committee held at Lausanne Switzerland in 2014. [d] he is currently the Legal Advisor to Hon. Harin Fernando M.P. Minister of Telecommunication, Foreign Employment and Sports. [e] he has in the past contributed greatly to sports administration in Sri Lanka in varying capacities.I am instructed that on 14th February 2019, at a Press Conference held at Borella at your office in presence of most of Local Media and Foreign Medial, you made the statements that my client Mr. Keerthinanda is trying to make Sri Lanka cricket board election process a political issue.
Footage of the said Press Conference and the said publication have been aired on electronic media inclusive of Television and Internet and gave a wide publicity for said publications made by you.
I am instructed that the said Press Conference and the statements impugned have been watched and heard by numerous people in Sri Lanka and aboard.
The said statements suggest and/or allege that, in relation to inquiries pertaining to the qualifications of candidates to stand for election for Officer Bearer positions at Sri Lanka Cricket, my client has tampered with documents and perpetrated a fraud.
The said statements are utterly false, baseless, malicious and per se defamatory and/or defamatory by innuendo.
As you are well aware, the process of conducting elections for Office Bearer positions at Sri Lanka Cricket has been entrusted to an Election Committee of eminent persons including a retired Judge of the Court of Appeal. Furthermore, the decisions of the Election Committee were appealable to an Appeal Advisory Committee comprising inter alia of an eminent retired Judge of the Supreme Court and an eminent retired Judge of the Court of Appeal who are independent and with unblemished character and reputation.
I am instructed that the comments made against my client by you have wrongfully, unlawfully and unjustifiably tainted and caused damage to his reputation and have been calculated to damage my client’s reputation and bring him client to ridicule, disrepute and contempt. Your comments against my client are defamatory of him per se and have also wrongfully resulted in conveying an impression of him that lowers his reputation and standing in society. This damage is exacerbated by the fact that my client’s legal practice is reliant in large part on his reputation for integrity, professionalism and diligence.
I am instructed that the impugned statements were motivated by malice, as my client authored a Report while acting as a Member of a Committee appointed by the then Minister of Sports to inquire into the nominations for the 2013 elections for Officer Bearer positions in Sri Lanka Cricket. As you are aware, the said Report decided that you were disqualified from contesting the said election, and inter alia dealt with you and your family’s involvement in gambling business and you have challenged unsuccessfully the said finding, report and decision before the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.
In the aforesaid circumstances, a cause of action has accrued in favour of my client to sue you for damages in a sum of Rupees Five Hundred Million (Rs.500,000,000/=) I therefore demand that you forthwith make the said payment in full.
I also demand that you forthwith desist from making any further defamatory comments/ statements against my Client.
I have been instructed to put you on notice that in the event that you fail to comply with the above, my Client will be instituting legal action against you on the basis of your said defamatory statements. In such an event my said Client will also seek appropriate relief including but not limited to injunctive relief from a Court of Law.
Your faithfully,
It is noteworthy that since last one month, Smathipala camp has been conspiring a well planned mudslinging campaign against Keerthinanda!
According to sources, earlier too Shammi Silva, the most notorious administrator in Sumathipala camp, had filed a petition against Keerthinanda to SLC competent authority Chulananda Perera and minister himself. Not only this, Sumathipala Camp had started a campaign against Keerthinanda on social media as well, by accusing him being ‘biased’.
However, this is another attempt by Sumathipala and his ‘mafia gang’ to halt the progress of Sri Lanka Cricket in democratic way. As Sumathipala camp has been losing the battle of election by each passing day, now they are trying to manipulate things, by creating false stories!
According to highly placed sources, Sumathipala’s Camp attack against Keerthinanda is a result of desperation and frustration. Largely because, Cricket Age learns that Keerthinanda has been associated with Sports Ministry since 2011. More importantly, he has been regarded as one of the top most Sports expert lawyer in Sri Lanka and has served many committees, that brought Sports laws in the island.
He holds the credit to bring Anti Doping law in Sri Lanka! He is the member of Sri Lanka’s Sports Council and had been associated with Sports Ministers and legal advisor in the past as well. In 2013, Keerthinanda was in the SLC election appeal committee, that disqualified Sumathipala from contesting the election, on the ground of his association with his family betting and gambling business. Later, Sumathipala dragged Keerthinanda and other appeal committee members to Writ Aplication in court of appeal in said republic , but lost the case!
Top of all these, Sumathipala side intentions are to manipulate election process. It is noteworthy, that as a Sports Minister, Harin Fernado has gained a ‘national Hero’ status. In just over a month in office, Harin has achieved many incredible feat! First, he convinced ICC to establish Anti Corruption Office in Sri Lanka. Then, ICC launched amnesty in Sri Lanka and then agreed to give some more time for SLC election, so it can be held in democratic way. Most importantly, Harin is working on bringing changes in SLC constitution!
However, Sumathipala side’s fear is something else! On the lines of Harin mission to clean up the SLC, Keerthinanda is drafting and preparing most awaited Anti corruption law in Sri Lanka cricket. In last two years, mostly during Sumathipala’s tenure, SLC has become most notorious cricket board. The ICC itself officially labeled SLC as most corrupted cricket board in the world! Plenty of match fixing allegations have been exposed involving Sri Lanka players in last few months and ICC is carrying a wholesale inquiry in the island.
That’s the reason, Sumathipala side is desperate. That’s why, they are targeting Keerthinanda, in order to halt the legal advice Harin is getting from him!
It is noteworthy that, few weeks ago, Sumathipala Camp had launched the same kind of mudslinging campaign against Harin as well. At that time also, Cricket Age had exposed the devil intentions of Sumathipala camp.
Due to corruption, frauds, mismanagement of Sumathipala led administration, in last two years, Sri Lanka Cricket is already on the ventilator.
