Sri Lanka To Arrest 1996 World Cup-Winning Captain Arjuna Ranatunga Over Oil Scam
Arjuna Ranatunga who led Sri Lanka to their historic 1996 Cricket World Cup victory, is currently abroad and will be detained upon his return
Sri Lankan authorities plan to arrest former World Cup-winning cricket captain Arjuna Ranatunga on corruption charges related to his tenure as the nation's petroleum minister, a court was informed on Monday.
The sports icon, who led Sri Lanka to their historic 1996 Cricket World Cup victory, is currently abroad and will be detained upon his return, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) told Colombo Magistrate Asanga Bodaragama.
Ranatunga and his elder brother, Dhammika Ranatunga, are accused of violating procedures for awarding long-term oil procurement contracts and instead making costlier spot purchases. CIABOC stated the alleged corruption occurred during deals made in 2017.
"The total loss to the state from 27 purchases is 800 million Sri Lankan rupees (approx Rs 23.5 crore)," at the time the deals were made in 2017, according to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, as reported by news agency AFP.
Dhammika Ranatunga, who served as the chairman of the state-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corporation at the time, was arrested on Monday but later released on bail. The magistrate imposed a travel ban on Dhammika, citing his dual citizenship in Sri Lanka and the United States.
The next court hearing for the case is scheduled for March 13.
The charges against the 62-year-old former left-hand batter and his brother are part of a broader anti-corruption drive spearheaded by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who assumed office last year on a mandate to combat endemic graft.
The Ranatunga family has been under recent legal scrutiny. Another brother, Prasanna Ranatunga, a former tourism minister, was arrested last month in connection with an insurance fraud case. Prasanna, who has a previous conviction from June 2022 for extorting money from a businessman, is currently serving a two-year suspended prison term while the new case is pending.
Arjuna, 62, a left-hand batter, lifted the 1996 Cricket World Cup for Sri Lanka after defeating Australia which is considered to be his island nation's greatest cricketing triumph.
