Sacked Sri Lanka board chief bailed over fraud charge

The sacked president of Sri Lanka's cricket board was granted bail on Monday as police sought his arrest over fraud allegations that have plagued the game in the country.

Thilanga Sumathipala, head of the cricket administration that was sacked this year, appeared in the Colombo Magistrates Court seeking anticipatory bail to avoid arrest.

"Mr. Sumathipala pleaded for bail, restraining the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) from unwanted arrest and harassment...," Sumathipala's lawyers said in a statement.

Sri Lankan law allows suspects anticipating arrest for white-collar crimes to seek bail before they are taken into custody.

The CID told court they had received two complaints of fraud against Sumathipala, one involving a sum of 4 hundred million rupees ($4.44 million) spent to build a new cricket stadium in the northern central city of Dambulla.

"The CID objected to bail... but the chief magistrate, after examining submissions, ordered bail," the statement said.

It said Sumathipala was to asked to post bail of 207,000 rupees and ordered not to leave the country without the court's permission.

The hearing is the latest in a series of legal battles which, together with power struggles and corruption scandals, have hamstrung the administration of Sri Lanka's richest sport for much of the past four years.

Sumathipala's administration was sacked after it lost a legal battle over plans to elect new officials at the end of March.

Soon after dissolving the board, Sports Minister Lakshman Kiriella stopped payment on several cheques issued at the 11th hour by Sumathipala's officials.

The interim committee has appointed independent auditors to probe the board's finances.

The dispute over the Dambulla stadium forced organisers to drop the venue during the recently concluded one-day tournament involving India, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.

Mail Cricket Editor