Lead News Report in the "Lankadeepa" of today

We refer to the lead News Report in the front page of the "Lankadeepa" of today on the new CID inquiry commenced on a Complaint said to have been made by one Sumith Perera, President of Badureliya Sports Club.

The allegations reported in the said lead News Report are said to be those contained in the "B" Report, which allegations had been made time and again by the said Sumith Perera / Others on several occasions previously, with inquiries having been conducted thereinto.

Sumith Perera, who sought to contest for the post of President of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka [BCCSL] (now Sri Lanka Cricket) on 11.6.2000, unsuccessfully instituted D.C. Colombo Case No. 5655/Spl on 6.6.2000 seeking to prevent Thilanga Sumathipala from contesting for the said post of President, verily believed to be at the behest of interested parties. Thilanga Sumathipala was elected uncontested as the President of BCCSL, with the other contestants Jayantha Dharmadasa, Sumith Perera and others, withdrawing after the District Court refused to grant Enjoining Orders sought by Sumith Perera, to prevent Thilanga Sumathipala from contesting.

Sumith Perera also simultaneously filed in the Court of Appeal an Application No. 604/2000 moving for a Writ in relation to the same BCCSL election, in which Application too, the interim orders sought were also refused, by the Court of Appeal.

For the moment, as regards the issue of a reimbursement of Rs. 3.1 Mn. referred to, the particulars of the reimbursement are as follows:

D.C. Colombo Case No, 5305/Spl

Clifford Ratwatte Vs. 1. Thilanga Sumathipala, 2. Abu Fuard, 3. Anuruddha Polonowita, 4. Saliya Ahangama, 5. Nuski Mohammed, 6. Mahinda Deshapriya, 7. Lawrence Amarasena, 8. Carlton Bernard, 9. A.R.M. Aroos, 10. B.S.R. Jurampathy, 11. M.B. Silva, 12. P.H.A.N. Dias, 13. D.J. Priyantha Algama, 14. N. Premasiri, 15. Dhammika Ranatunga, 16. Prasanna Ranatunga,

17. Trevor Rajaratnam, 18. Lucien Merennage, 19. Nishantha Ranatunga, 20. Mohan de Silva, 21. Hirantha Perera and 22. Ranjith Madurasinghe.

Counsel Fees- Mr. L.C. Seneviratne, P.C Rs. 629,500/- Mr. S.L. Gunasekere Rs. 551,250/- Mr. Ronald Perera Rs. 367,500/- Mr. Hemaka de Alwis Rs. 367,500/- Mr. H.L. de Silva, P.C. - Rs. 367,500/-

Registered Attorneys Fees - M/s Paul Ratnayake Associates - Rs. 390,900/13

Registered Attorneys Costs - M/s Paul Ratnayake Associates - Rs. 193,536/-

Total Rs. 2,867,686/13

D.C. Colombo Case No. 5364/Spl

1. Rienzie Theobald Wijetilleke, 2. Michael Tissera, 3. Sidath Wettimuny, 4. Asantha de Mel Vs. 1. Thilanga Sumathipala, 2. Hon. S.B. Dissanayake, 3. Hon. Attorney General, 4. S. Skandakumar

Counsel Fees - Mr. S.L. Gunasekere Rs. 147,656/25 Mr. Ronald Perera Rs. 75,250/-

Registered Attorneys Fees - M/s Paul Ratnayake Associates Rs. 95,113/12 Registered Attorneys Costs - M/s Paul Ratnayake Associates Rs. 12,356/-

Total Rs. 330,375/37

Summary

D.C. Colombo Case No. 5305/Spl Rs. 2, 867,686/13 D.C. Colombo Case No. 5364/Spl Rs. 330,375/37 Total Rs. 3,198,061/50

Mr. K.N. Choksy, P.C., had also appeared in relation to Case No. 5305/Spl.

The above re-imbursement is only a part of the fees and costs that had been paid for by Thilanga Sumathipala, particularly in respect of D.C. Colombo Case No. 5305/Spl, which was dismissed in January 2003 and ex-parte Orders on the Claims in Reconvention are now due for 14.2.2004. The above Cases were not filed personally and only against Thilanga Sumahtipala.

In relation to a Probe conducted previously on the very same matters, the Court of Appeal in Application No. 1352/2001, inter-alia, held that the said Probe had been conducted in violation of the principles of natural justice.

We trust that the present fresh inquiries are not a "witch-hunt" to scandalise and cause unwarranted prejudice and injury to persons, on the basis of disgruntled elements, acting in cahoots and collusion with and at the behest of interested and affected parties.

Whilst the CID conducts inquiries into the foregoing matters, we trust that they will also conduct inquiries on a just and equitable basis into the following matters also:

i. The loss of Rs. 34.3 million incurred by the Interim Committee headed by Rienzie Wijetilleke on the Under 19 Youth World Cup hosted in Sri Lanka in January 2000.

ii. The improper deposit at a lower rate of interest of considerable amounts of NRFC monies of the BCCSL with the Hatton National Bank by the Interim Committee headed by Rienzie Wijetilleke, thereby causing considerable losses to be BCCSL, the computation of which will be forwarded.

iii. The loss of approximately US $ 6.0 million incurred on the arbitrary cancellation of the WSG Nimbus Contract by the Interim Committee headed by Vijaya Malalasekere and the subsequent Award of the balance Contract, with further additional fixtures to Taj Television, with consequential Claims of US $ 18.0 million made in Arbitration proceedings, with Legal Costs being incurred of around Rs. 40.0 million.

iv. Reported Audit Queries in relation to four matters inquired into by a Probe Committee headed by retired Supreme Court Judge, Justice Jameel, which such Queries were, the non-recovery of US $ 1.0 million on the WorldTel Contract, unaccounted Expenditure of Rs. 3.5 million and Queries on printing and stationary costs of Rs. 3.1 million and insurance payments of Rs. 2.7 million, during the tenure of Upali Dharmadasa as the President of BCCSL, who evaded and avoided to appear before the Probe Committee when summoned.

v. The unlawful operation of the BCCSL Bank Accounts after its dissolution in March 2001 by the Interim Committees headed by Vijaya Malalasekere and Hemaka Amarasuriya in blatant violation of the provisions of Sports Law No. 25 of 1973.