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'Malpractice, corruption' Sri Lankan cricket board could face criminal inquiry
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) -- A government-appointed committee recommended a criminal investigation into the affairs of Sri Lanka's sacked cricket board, the committee said Tuesday. The five-member committee was appointed by Sports Minister Lakshman Kiriella, to investigate allegations of financial mismanagement at the cricket board, which was sacked in March. In a six-page statement, the committee said there was sufficient evidence to start a criminal investigation. The committee started its inquiry on June 1 and handed its report to the sports minister Friday. The committee was able to "investigate and inquire into four major acts of malpractice, corruption, misuse and abuse of power, breach of trust and or misappropriation of funds," the statement said. There was no immediate comment available from Thilanga Sumathipala, who headed the board that was sacked. But Sumathipala said earlier that some of the committee members were likely to be hostile to him as they supported his opponents in the last two cricket board elections. The cricket board is already facing legal battles, allegations of mismanagement and the wrath of the powerful Buddhist clergy. The statement came a day after several members of Parliament sought an investigation into its sale of TV rights. A group of lawmakers from the governing Peoples Alliance asked the Parliament's speaker to form a committee to investigate the board's functioning and specified an examination of the awarding of television rights to foreign companies. The cricket board awarded the telecast rights to one company in March despite allegations of irregular procedures for short-listing firms seeking the rights.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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