Indictment served on accused Legends match fixers
The High Court of Matale has served indictment to Yogi Patel, accused of match-fixing during the 2024 Legends Cricket Trophy tournament played in Kandy. Matale High Court judge Ravindra Premaratne also ordered Patel’s passport to be handed over to the court and for the Immigration and Emigration Department to be informed of the travel ban.
This was after the judge released Yogi Patel on two sureties of Rs. 500,000 each and a cash bail of Rs. 500,000. Patel, the owner of the Kandy Samp Army team, has been charged under the Prevention of Sports Related Corruption Act after he had reportedly asked Upul Tharanga, who played for the same team to engage in corrupt practices for a financial reward.
An investigation was launched after a retired Sri Lankan cricketer and a New Zealand cricketer had alleged that Yogi Patel and his assistant Pachalodia Akash had approached them to fix matches during the Legends Cricket Tournament.
Sri Lanka is the first South Asian nation to criminalise several offences related to match-fixing, while this is the first case to be heard under the new regulations. Offenders could face up to 10 years in jail and fines of up to US$ 555,000 for match-fixing under laws introduced in 2019.
State Counsel Gevindu Seneviratne and Senior State Counsel Udara Karunaratne appeared on behalf of the Attorney General while President Counsel Shanaka Ranasinghe appeared for the accused.