PARLIAMENT

• Investigation on Sri Lanka Cricket to continue for three days as decided
• Guidance given by the Ministry insufficient – COPE emphasize
• Weaknesses in the Ministry's guidance regarding the activities of sports clubs
• The Secretary to the Ministry instructed to develop the proper procedure in the Sri Lanka Cricket.
• Recommendations to strengthen the internal audit department of Sri Lanka cricket

The Sri Lanka Cricket Institute was summoned before the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) which met yesterday (Nov. 14) Chaired by Hon. (Prof.) Ranjith Bandara, Member of Parliament.

Matters including the special audit report related to the 2022 International Cricket Council T-20 World Cup (Men) cricket tournament were investigated at the Committee meeting held. A group of officials including Mr. Kanapathipillai Mahesan, the Secretary to the Ministry of Sports, Mr. Shammi Silva, the President of the Sri Lanka Cricket, Mr. Ashley De Silva, the Chief Executive Officer, were present at the Committee meeting held.

At the beginning of the Committee, the Auditor General explained how the Auditor General has got the power to audit Sri Lanka Cricket based on the legal provisions including Article 154 of the Constitution.

Although the secretary said that the necessary guidance and orders have been given to the sports clubs including Sri Lanka Cricket, the Committee emphasized that the intervention of the Ministry should be increased.

According to the legal provisions, the executive committee should get the minister's approval. However, subject to the Minister's cover approval, the secretary has given approval on 07.10.2022, to which the minister's approval was not given. Accordingly, it was decided to bring the former secretary in the future and look into the related files.

The fact that nearly 8 million rupees which was accounted to be paid for the members of the executive committee for the Australian trip were removed from the accounts during the audit and the related bills were not submitted to the audit was also taken into discussion. Accordingly, COPE emphasized that proper methods should be prepared to carry out the functions of Sri Lanka cricket.

According to a 2016 gazette paper, it was also discussed that by removing the powers of the Auditor General's Department in 2020, sports associations will be empowered to act as they wish. Due to this situation, it was discussed that sports associations have been empowered to spend money as they wish and therefore the legal situation in 2016 should be reviewed.

concerns such as the issuing of visa letters for Australian travel, audit inquiries related to the purchase of air tickets, and the need to use an open method with transparency in selecting media organizations for foreign travel were also addressed.    

Thus, the Committee ordered the Secretary to the Ministry to develop the proper procedure for Sri Lanka cricket and the need to strengthen the internal audit of the cricket institution was also emphasized by the Committee.

It was also decided to continue the investigation regarding Sri Lanka Cricket Board for three days and inform the dates in the future.

State Ministers Hon. Jagath Pushpakumara, Hon. Janaka Wakkumbura, Hon. Shantha Bandara, Members of Parliament Hon. Anura Dissanayaka, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Hon. Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Hon. Rohitha Abeygunawardana, Hon. Eran Wickramaratne, Hon. Nimal Lanza, Hon. S. M. Marikkar, Hon. Hesha Withanage, Hon. Sanjeeva Edirimanna, Hon. Jagath Kumara Sumithraarachchi, Hon. (Major) Sudarshana Denipitiya, Hon. Premnath C. Dolawatte, Hon. Upul Mahendra Rajapaksha, Hon. M. Rameshwaran, Hon. (Mrs.) Rajika Wickramasinghe, Hon. Madhura Withanage, Hon. (Prof.) Charitha Herath, were present at the Committee meeting held.