For years, Sri Lanka’s lawmakers neglected passing laws to deal with sports corruption, making it impossible to try anyone in court. Now, the country is only a step away from introducing tough legislation to discourage the menace.Panduka Keerthinanda, the Legal Adviser of the Ministry of Sports, is back in the saddleThe process was accelerated against the backdrop of match-fixing and corruption allegations which caused the International Cricket Committee (ICC) investigators to start inquiries. The probe is ongoing. A few have been charged and one has been banned. The new law to be passed in Parliament will make it legally possible to try them in court, a major breakthrough in the fight against corruption.
The Bill on Prevention of Offences Relating to Sports has been gazetted after months of deliberation by the Sports Ministry, Attorney General’s Department and the Legal Draftsman. It now awaits passage in Parliament to make all sports-related corruption, particularly match-fixing and illegal and betting, criminal offences.The gazette was issued on August 23, 2019. The law carries jail terms and hefty fines to deter potential criminals.
Once passed, Sri Lanka will be the first Asian country–following in the footsteps of South Africa, England, Australia and New Zealand–to introduce such a law. It covers every aspect of corruption including engaging in betting, gambling, match-fixing, providing inside information for benefits, financial or otherwise, and any action that brings the sport into disrepute. It gives power to charge suspects under Sri Lanka’s judicial system.
“As there were no laws in Sri Lanka, we could not try anyone before the rule of law, said Panduka Keerthinanda, Sports Ministry Legal Adviser. ;-“By implementing this, we hope to deter would-be corruptors from engaging in such activities.”“There’s provision to charge anyone who corrupts the sport,” he continued.“There’s a misconception that this law will prevent the operations of the legal betting and gaming business in the country. We are not going to do that. But the law will deal with illegal betting and related corruption, like bribery.”Keerthinanda, a lawyer, was instrumental in drafting the new bill, along with officials representing the Attorney General’s Department. He called it a major victory in Sri Lanka’s fight against cancerous match-fixing and corruption in sports.
The ICC is currently carrying out a major investigation into match-fixing in Sri Lanka, a country it believes is one of the worst offenders. They have charged several players but are yet to conclude the probe. The National Audit Office has also questioned Sri Lanka Cricket on alleged Misappropriation of funds such as in the instance of a questionable deal to build the Sooriyawewa Cricket Stadium and the awarding of television rights. “If a bookmaker approaches a cricketer or an administrator and attempts to fix the outcome of the match, to fix specifics moments in a match (spot fixing), or change the conditions of the pitch, it’s an offence under the new law,” Keerthinanda said.