Sports Minister plans to stamp down on corruption

Newly appointed Sri Lankan Sports Minister, Mangala Samaraweera, who replaced Laksman Kiriella on Friday after a cabinet reshuffle, has vowed to come down hard on endemic corruption within national sports bodies, the most high profile of which is the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL).

Speaking at his first public appearance, the closing ceremony of the 27th National Sports Festival at the Welagedara Stadium, Kurunegala, on Saturday, the minister declared: "I will not allow the businessmen to misuse money." He warned officials that he would not hesitate to "punish" any guilty offenders.

During the course of his speech he pledged greater support for out-station areas, commenting that: "One has to invest money on rural sports development to produce more Sanath Jayasuriya's."

In March this year the previous minister decided to dissolve the cricket board and launched an ongoing inquiry into claims of financial mismanagement. The accusations centered on tenders by and payments for the constructors responsible for constructing a five million dollar international stadium in Dambulla. No substantive evidence, however, has yet been revealed and no charges have been made.

Since the dissolution, the board's affairs have been managed by an Interim Committee, headed by Vijaya Malalsekera, who is close to the President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. The Sports Minister also had met the officials of the Interim Committee on Saturday.