UNP wants SL Cricket, SLPL probed

• Says that evidence of mismanagement exists and should come under proposed PSC

Hot on the heels of UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s call to appoint a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to probe Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), the party’s Economic Affairs Spokesman Dr. Harsha de Silva yesterday urged that Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) should also be investigated.

Dr. de Silva pointed out that several reasons for this had emerged and that the party was of the view that all ventures under the SLC should be analysed for financial mismanagement. He told the media that SLC had not yet revealed its reason to postpone the SLPL and that it should come under investigation.

“Not only is the Singaporean company Somerset an unknown company, we do not know who the owners, board of directors or other stakeholders are. Somerset in turn has sold media rights to an entity titled Carlton Sports Network. This was done at the time Nishantha Ranatunga was the Secretary of SLC and we find that he is also the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Carlton Sports Network. It is clear that there is a conflict of interest here,” he said.

According to the UNP MP, when the Committee On Public Enterprises (COPE) called Ranatunge before it, he had claimed to be unaware of the owners and board of directors of Carlton Sports Network.

“How can the CEO of a company not know who the board of directors are? This is a clear case of corruption and dubious dealing. These are certainly strange things and must be investigated under the proposed PSC.”