WorlTel deal- Sri Lanka Board membership kept in dark (27 Nov 1997)

Thursday 27, November 1997

WorlTel deal- Sri Lanka Board membership kept in dark

By SA'ADI THAWFEEQ

Some of the leading cricket administrators of the past were of the opinion that the Sri Lanka Cricket Board's Executive Committee had deprived its membership of the right to be told of the `WorldTel deal' which it has got internationally embroiled in.

"It is a legitimate request by the members and I think it should be acceded to. It is in the constitution. After all, members deserve the board they have elected,'' said Ian Pieris, a former president of the Cricket Board.

"It is most unfortunate and alarming that the Board's Executive Committee has not acceded to a legitimate request of the membership. From my own point of view the Board' ExCo should have initiated action to apprise the membership of the details of a transaction of the magnitude involving over Rs. 300 million, leave alone allegations of bribery,'' said Nuski Mohamed, a former secretary of the Cricket Board.

"The matter involving this transaction has received wide exposure in the media and is of great importance and significance. The issue is clearly not subjudice and, in the interest of all those involved in the game, it should rightfully be the subject matter of discussion at a meeting of the Board's membership,'' he said.

Former Sri Lanka captain and a vice-president of the Cricket Board, Michael Tissera said: "I am appalled that a bribery scandal of this nature should have surfaced at the Cricket Board. It's really pathetic. The membership has the right to be told of this shocking state of affairs''.

"The situation is indeed a most unfortunate one. As for the membership's request for an Extraordinary General Meeting, considering the wide publicity given to this controversial matter, both locally and overseas, they certainly have the right to be kept advised directly by the Executive Committee of the circumstances involved,'' said S. Skandakumar, a former secretary of the Cricket Board.

"After all, almost every senior official of the Cricket Board has been quoted in this matter both in the print and electronic media, so why exclude the membership,'' said Skandakumar.

The WorldTel deal is so enormous that it has sparked off controversy among top officials of the Cricket Board who appear to be divided in interviews so far appearing in the media.

In addition to this, an allegation of bribery has arisen. In the light of all this, the issue has been brought to the attention of the entire world through the media and, has been widely publicised and assumed importance.

It is nothing but right that the general membership should be made aware of what has been going on. They should not be deprived of that opportunity.

It has to be noted that the ExCo has been elected by the general membership, but they have not been given an open cheque to do what they like. They have a moral obligaiton in the wake of the wide publicity to update the general membership of what has transpired. There has to be a process of communication and consultation, and a minority view must always be respected in the best interest of the game.

The past Cricket Board officials spoken to, also hold this same view.

Source :: Daily News (https://www.lanka.net)