Sachithra Senanayake to be indicted in High Court?
The Attorney General’s Department is considering to indict former Sri Lankan cricketer Sachithra Senanayake in the Colombo High Court following the receipt of his voice test report. Senanayake, who is currently out on bail, was previously remanded for allegedly attempting to lure two Colombo Kings franchise players into corrupt activities during the inaugural Lanka Premier League (LPL) in 2020.
The former off-spinner, a member of Sri Lanka’s 2014 T20 World Cup-winning squad, was charged in 2020 after former national cricketer Dhammika Prasad and domestic player Tharindu Ratnayake reported his alleged attempts to influence them to underperform. Their complaints were lodged with Sri Lanka’s local anti-corruption officer.
Senanayake is being prosecuted under the 2019 Prevention of Offences Related to Sports Act, which carries a maximum penalty of a 10-year imprisonment, a fine of up to Rs.100 million, or both. The investigation, initiated in 2020 at the request of ICC Anti-Corruption Unit head Alex Marshall, revealed that the suspect had allegedly used WhatsApp to contact the players in an attempt to manipulate match outcomes.