SL Cricket (SLC) appoint panel to probe past corruption

Colombo: Sports Minister Navin Dissanayake has on Tuesday appointed a three-member panel to investigate alleged corruption in the past cricket administrations. Ravi Algama, Jaliya Bodinagoda and Waruna Mallawarachchi, all lawyers, have been appointed to go into the alleged past corruption in the game's administration, Sports Ministry said.

They held their first session today. The Minister's action to appoint a probe panel follows his action to appoint an interim committee to govern the SLC administration late March.

Dissanayake's move however has come in for criticism from the world governing body ICC. They warned Sri Lanka that politically appointed interim committees run counter to the ICC policy.

The ICC held up Sri Lanka's dues and later released a part of them upon explanation from Dissanayake the reasons behind the decision to appoint an interim committee. The new Sri Lankan government elected in January said they were keen to rid the governing body of corruption and the interim committee would reign until the probe is complete.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the gross mismanagement by past administrations had left the SLC in debt. It was unable to settle the bills it owed to the state.