General: COPE stirs football and cricket pots

Millions of rupees channeled by FIFA- the International Federation of Football Associations - to the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) had been deposited in the private bank accounts of two senior ex- office bearers of the FFSL; the Parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprise (COPE) was informed this week. 

The money had been channeled by FIFA to FFSL to develop football and assist football clubs but instead the funds had been pilfered off by these individuals, senior officials of FFSL who appeared before COPE on Tuesday revealed. 

The matter is to be investigated by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) while COPE too will carry out a separate inquiry into this financial irregularities that have taken place at FFSL, it is learnt. 

Meanwhile a report by COPE submitted to Parliament this week revealed that Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) had paid millions of rupees to private law firms between 2006 and 2015 for legal services even though it could have obtained the same services from the Attorney General Department at no cost. 

In 2013 alone, SLC had paid Rs 21.6 million rupees for private legal services while for the ten year period between 2006-2015, SLC paid 124.78 million to private law firms, the COPE report which was tabled in Parliament said. 

SLC has been asked to submit a report with details of all the lawsuits to which it is connected as well as the names and amounts paid to each of the law firms. 

This report is due shortly, Committee Chairman JVP lawmaker Sunil Handunnetti said. 

The Parliamentary oversight committee observed that SLC has not prepared a corporate plan, an action plan not a procurement plan for 2016. 

SLC Chairman Thilanga Sumathipala had told the Committee that he had been appointed on January 3 this year and hence he needed more time to submit these plans. 

The other issues highlighted in the Report concerned the sale of tickets for matches. 

In 2014, tickets worth Rs 75 million had been sold for 13 one-day cricket matches while tickets worth Rs 45 million had been issued free of charge. 

The Committee had also paid attention to the fact that even when SLC incurred a loss of Rs393 million in 2014, salary increment ranging from Rs 5000 to Rs 86,250 were given to contract basis employees while a salary increment of Rs 215,400 was given to a coach for spinners. 

COPE has asked SLC to submit comprehensive reports on granting of telecast rights for cricket matches with details on the basis on which such selections have been made as well as the agreements and the procurement process as well as why the Suriyawewa Stadium is not included as an asset on the asset register of SLC.