Sportspersons committing offences while competing, including match fixing, corruption, illegal manipulation and illegal betting, can be slapped with a punishment of a maximum of ten-year imprisonment and a fine of 100 million, according to Sri Lanka Sports Minister Harin Fernando’s proposed “Prevention of offenses relating to Sports Bill”. The sports ministry has already tabled the draft to parliament secretary and soon will be presented in parliament, Cricket Age exclusively learns.
The proposed Bill will be helpful in prevention of match fixing, corruption, illegal manipulation and illegal betting in Sports.
The Bill will also be helpful in the appointment of a special investigations unit for the inquiry of the offences.
According to Bill draft, As per Section 9, any person who commits and offense specified in Section 4 , 5,6,7 and 8, will be liable not exceeding Rs. 100 million and a period not exceeding 10 years or the both.
“Maximum punishment that has been proposed is imprisonment up-to ten years and a fine of 100 million or both,” a top sports ministry official told Cricket Age.
Whoever attempts to commit offence of sporting fraud shall be punishable with the same punishment as provided for the offence. A person who abets the commission of sporting fraud shall be punishable with the same punishment as provided for the offence. No court inferior to that of a Metropolitan Magistrate or Judicial Magistrate of the first class shall try any offence punishable under this Act.
The proposed bill is another decisive step of Harin Fernando as a Sports Minister to clean up the sport in the island. Cricket Age understands that Panduka Keerthinanda, the legal advisor of Sports Minister, has also played a pivotal role in preparing this bill within a very short span of time.
The proposed bill is likely to be a game changer for Sri Lanka Cricket especially, as in recent times the most popular game in the Island has been marred with all sort of controversies and wrongdoings.
So much so that, earlier this year the International Cricket Council (ICC) officially labeled Sri Lanka one of the world’s most corrupt cricketing nations, adding the sport’s local governance was riddled with graft “from top to bottom”.
In November, former Sri Lankan fast bowler Dilhara Lokuhettige was suspended for corruption linked to a limited-over league in 2017.
He was the third Sri Lankan player charged for violating the ICC’s anti-corruption code, following charges levelled against former captain and ex-chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya, and former paceman Nuwan Zoysa.
Jayasuriya was found guilty of failing to cooperate with a match-fixing probe and was banned for two years, while Zoysa was suspended over the match-fixing accusations.
