Cricket Age Exclusive
Thilanga Sumathipala, the former president of Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC), has filed a writ application in the Court of Appeal to ask for another independent inquiry over his suspension from the Cricket Board, Cricket Age exclusively learns.
In October last year, Sumathipala was banned from the cricket by then Sports Minister Harin Fernando, based on a report of the International Cricket Council (ICC) that exposed his involvement in betting and gambling. Sumathipala was acting as immediate past President at the SLC at that time.
However, now as the government has changed in the country, Sumathipala, who is also a part of ruling party, is trying to creeping back to cricket through the loopholes. In his never ending greed for the power at SLC, Sumathipala has filed a writ in order to misusing the goodwill of new government by misleading the top political brass.
Cricket Age has the access of all the documents of Sumathipala’s writ, that says that he has asked for an independent, impartial inquiry over certain allegations against him, by challenging the previous investigation panel’s report.
In his writ, backed by president’s counsel Navin Marapana, Sumathipala has named Harin Fernando, present Sports Minister Dallas Alahapperuma, Sports Ministry secretary KBS Ruwanchandra, SLC President Shammi Silva, Vice president Ravin Wickramaratne, Secratary Mohan De Silva, treasurer Lasantha Wickramsingha, Assistant Treasurer Lalith Rambukwella as correspondents.
According to sources, Sumathipala’s game plan is to prolong the proceedings by force the concerned authorities to appoint new committee and to use his political mileage to return to the SLC.
In his writ, Sumathipala, who was universally exposed by ICC over his betting and gambling activities while being a part of SLC, has shamelessly mentioned how he has served the cricket in the country for over two decades and has been a part of SLC administration more than dozen times.
If it happens and Sumathipala succeeds to make a return at SLC, it would be termed as the darkest episode in the history of the game in the Island. Harin Fernando, unarguably the best Sports Minister in Sri Lanka history, single handedly fought against the Cricket Mafia in the country, garner the trust and backing of ICC and achieved a historical feat by banning Sumathipala.
However, with new political scenario, Sumathipala (2.0) is yet again trying to make a return, by misusing government’s goodwill!
How ICC Exposed Sumathipala’s betting and gambling connections?
In a report handed over by the ICC to Sports Ministry, they had found incriminating evidence against Sumathipala. The report claims that SLC’s host broadcaster made a payment of US$ 100,000 to a private account operated by the former cricket chief in 1997. It has also emerged that half of this payment was meant to be set aside for then Sports Minister!
The payment had been done by Mark Mascarenhas, who founded Worldtel in 1989. Mascarenhas died of a car accident in Madras in 2002.
Sumathipala wasn’t the President of Board of Control for Cricket in 1997. The Board was headed by Upali Dharmadasa and Sumathipala was one of the Vice-Presidents. However, Sumathipala was the Chairman of Sponsorship Committee at that point.
Glen Palmer, a close confidant of Sumathipala once upon a time has spilled the beans on what had taken place more than 20 years ago. The report further establishes that Sumathipala had direct links with the betting industry and Palmer, who hails from the United Kingdom was helping him to further his interests in the betting industry.
Palmer and Sumathipala had fallen out and the former had come out with incriminating evidence including copies of cheques and telephone conversations.
