Nalin Aponso files FR case citing pressure from Ranatunga brothers

Monday, 9 May 2016 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Nalin Aponso, the Deputy Chief Manager of Sri Lanka Ports Authority and the President of Nationalised Services Cricket Association has filed a fundamental rights petition in the Supreme Court citing that he was under continuous pressure at his work place by the Ranatunge brothers, violating his fundamental rights.

The petitioner has filed his application through Sanath Wijewardana Attorney at law and the same will be supported by Senior attorney-at- law Saliya Peiris.

Aponso who was an Executive Committee member of the Sri Lanka Cricket from 2013 – 2015 has cast his vote at the last Cricket election representing the Nationalised Services Cricket Association according to the mandate given to him by its executive committee. Since Dammika Ranathunge had taken over the position of Chairman of the Ports Authority Aponso had been effectively sidelined from his official duties and assigned to work with junior officers without a valid reason.

After a month of such harassment he was also ruthlessly pressurised by the Chairman and the Minister to vote in favor of Nishantha Ranathuge who is the brother of Chairman and the line Minister. The Executive Committee of the Nationalised Services Cricket Association has decided to vote for Thilanga Sumathipala at the election and once this decision was known to the Ranatunge brothers they have put enormous pressure to change the decision . Due to this unbearable pressure the executive committee of NSCA has granted permission on exceptional grounds to Nalin Aponso to abstain from voting at the election for the post of President.

After Thilinga Sumathipala has won the election by a fair majority, on the 6th of January, Aponoso’s office was sealed without indicating any valid reason on the direct instruction of the Chairman of Sri Lanka Ports Authority. Due to continuous pressure and questioning by the media, the Ports Authority has made a press statement rejecting the incident with Nalin’s electronic signature but without his consent through a junior officer of the division .

Since then the pressure on him was stepped up and he was removed from all his duties and transferred to another location.

Aponso is an old boy of Nalanda College Colombo and served as a freelance journalist and a senior Cricket Commentator. He has a Post graduate diploma in Mass Media from the University of Colombo and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and of the Chartered institute of Public Relations of UK.