FFSL embroiled in their own accusations!
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Manilal Fernando
A Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) internal investigation into several questionable transactions flagged in a 2015 Government audit has concluded that no fraud was committed in the sporting body during the period under question (2004-2008) and that all accounts were duly audited by the Auditor General’s (AG) Department and passed at an annual general meeting (AGM).
Without even interviewing Manilal Fernando, the former FFSL President and the main accused, or Ranjith Rodrigo, who headed the body from 2013-2015, the committee has blamed the latter of setting the former up. Rodrigo was instrumental in bringing the alleged malpractices to light.
It was alleged that a donation of Euro 40,400 by the Italian Football Players Association to Sri Lanka, a sum of USD 60,000 received to host the Asian President Cup matches in 2008, USD 40,000 received to host the South Asian Football Championships in 2008 and funds amounting to Rs. 10 million received from Holcim Lanka Ltd for a tsunami housing project in 2006 were deposited in a private account belonging to Mr Fernando.
The three-member committee now holds that these transactions had been properly executed, in strong contravention of AG’s Department findings. And it levels serious allegations against Rodrigo including that of forging documents with malicious intents, acting dictatorially without following protocols, depriving those implicated of an opportunity to tell their story and keeping the Executive Committee in the dark in all matters related to the audit report.
The internal investigation was carried out by Jaswar Omar, the incumbent FFSL Secretary General, FFSL Treasurer Tyronne Fernando and Executive Committee Member R Puvanendiran. They interviewed three people: Chryshantha Perera, a former Chief Executive Officer; Upali Hewage, Secretary General from 2013-2015; and Hurley Silveira , a former FFSL President and current Ex-Co member.
Signed by Omar, the report also states that: “Mr. Ranjith Rodrigo with the assistance of the Finance Manager has deliberately misled the Auditor Generals Department into making an inaccurate finding.” The FFSL has taken this official position nearly three years after it lodged an official complaint with the Financial Criminal Investigation Division (FCID) and Mr Fernando secured a writ application against the publication, discussion and distribution of the said audit report.
Fernando, considered the game’s godfather in Sri Lanka for well over two decades, faced the global ridicule when FIFA, the world governing body, banned him for life from engaging in any football related matters locally or internationally after he was found guilty of bribery and corruption. Fernando’s appeal to the Court of Arbitration of Sports (CAS) was rejected on grounds that there was sufficient evidence to prove Fernando’s involvement.
The committee’s finding is based on an affidavit from its former Finance Manager Prabath Gunawardena (who is being investigated for financial fraud of Rs 28mn) and a claim by former Secretary General Upali Hewage saying Rodrigo “has misled all FFSL authorities”, including him as Secretary General, purportedly fixed allegations against former FFSL official Manilal Fernando”.
The report was also supported by fresh affidavits from three senior officials of the FFLS who retracted contents of sworn affidavits they had earlier submitted to the Court of Appeal in which they confirmed audit reports of financial misconduct and corruption.
The three officials are Anura de Silva, who was President at the time the audit reports were released and again holds the post; DIG Upali Hewage, then Secretary General and now a Vice President; and Balendra Anthony, who was Secretary General from 2015 to 2017. They have unanimously stated they have no knowledge of the contents of the affidavits submitted by them. They now claim that, when the FFSL first received notice regarding case No CA (Writ) Application No. 212/2015, Rodrigo obtained their signatures on a blank sheet of paper saying it was necessary for the purpose of filing the proxy in the above case. They do not explain why they, holding such high positions in one of the most affluent sport bodies in the country, placed their signatures on blank sheets.
Anura de Silva was Rodrigo’s biggest supporter when he was head of the institution and it was Rodrigo who elevated him to the top post after the Sports Law denied him of a second term. But they fell out just before the last FFSL election in 2017 and de Silva managed to oust Rodrigo and claim a second consecutive term.
According to Jaswar, the main reasons for inquiry was a “shocking revelation” made by Hewage, then Secretary General of the association, who claims that minutes of the Executive Committee Meeting of January 31, 2015, had been altered and circulated with a different opinion. However, the said document was signed and circulated by the Secretary General. This begs the question why Hewage waited for more than two years to make an official complaint with regard to the altered minutes. The Sunday Times is in possession of both documents– the one which was circulated among the Ex-Co members with Hewage’s signature and the other which had been submitted to courts.
This matter was discussed at a recent COPE meeting where the members of the Committee on Public Enterprise questioned football officials and decided to write to the Attorney General’s Department to proceed with criminal proceedings against those implicated in the audit report.