Sri Lanka govt to arrest Arjuna Ranatunga in corruption case

COLOMBO: The Sri Lankan government is all set to arrest World Cup-winning former cricket captain and ex-petroleum minister Arjuna Ranatunga in a corruption case.

According to officials, Ranatunga is accused of making illegal changes to oil procurement procedures during his tenure as petroleum minister, causing heavy financial losses to the state.

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) said Ranatunga and his brother are accused of allowing costly spot purchases instead of long-term oil supply agreements, resulting in significant losses to the national exchequer.

The commission told a local court that 27 oil purchases made in 2017 caused a total loss of around 800 million Sri Lankan rupees to the state, equivalent to more than $5 million at the time.

The court was told that Ranatunga is currently abroad and will be arrested upon his return to Sri Lanka.

The details were presented before Colombo Magistrate Asanga Bodhiraagama.

Meanwhile, Ranatunga’s elder brother, Dhamika Ranatunga, who was serving as chairman of the state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation at the time, has been arrested and later released on bail by the court.

Authorities said that the scope of the investigation is broad and all decisions related to oil procurement are being closely scrutinised.

Arjuna Ranatunga captained Sri Lanka to its historic Cricket World Cup victory in 1996 and remains one of the country’s most popular cricketers.

The allegations against him have sparked intense debate in Sri Lanka’s political and sporting circles.