Former Sri Lanka cricketer Sachithra Senanayake indicted for match-fixing

The Attorney General has indicted former Sri Lankan cricketer Sachithra Senanayake at the Hambantota High Court for allegedly inciting cricketer Tharindu Ratnayake in connection with match-fixing during the Lanka Premier League (LPL) tournament in 2020.

A spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Department stated that this is the first time a case has been filed in court against a national-level cricketer in Sri Lanka on match-fixing charges under the Prevention of Offenses Relating to Sports Act.

The spokesperson also mentioned that this may be the first case in South Asia where a national-level cricketer has been charged under criminal law for match-fixing.

The Attorney General has charged Sachithra Senanayake under the Prevention of Offenses Relating to Sports Act for soliciting, instigating, and instructing Tharindu Ratnayake in Mauritius and Hambantota between November 21 and 22, 2020, not to inform the International Cricket Council (ICC) Anti-Corruption Unit about a proposal made by another party to fix matches for the Colombo Kings team during the Lanka Premier League (LPL) tournament.

Additionally, the allegation against Sachithra Senanayake states that a person named “Saidi,” who has not yet been arrested, phoned Tharindu Ratnayake and said, “I already spoke to the management. You will get games, and you have to give something for them too, okay?”, and that Senanayake had attempted to prevent the player from making a complaint with the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit regarding that match-fixing approach.

Accordingly, Senanayake has been charged under Section 5(d) of the Sports Corruption Amendment Act, No. 24 of 2019.

Sachithra Senanayake was recently arrested by the Sports Ministry’s Anti-Corruption Unit, following instructions from the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit. He was produced before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court and subsequently remanded in custody before being released on bail.

This case has been filed under the guidance of Additional Solicitor General Sumathi Dharmawardena, after reviewing the forensic evidence and other materials related to the incident.