Sri Lanka cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka who has been charged with 4 counts of sexual assault in Sydney, Australia is set to submit an appeal to the Supreme Court, Gunathilaka’s lawyer Anand Amaranath said on Monday (07).
Earlier today, Sydney Magistrate Robert Williams denied Gunathilaka bail, while acknowledging he had no prior criminal history. Hence, Danushka Gunathilaka will remain in custody.
Magistrate Robert Williams adjourned the case to January 12, a period of nine-and-a-half weeks.
According to ESPNcricinfo, Gunathilaka’s lawyer Anand Amaranath called the decision “disappointing” and confirmed that his client would be appealing to the Supreme Court.
“Gunathilaka is currently in a correctional facility and if granted bail, he will have to remain in Australia until the case is finalized”, Amaranath said. As the charges are serious, the process could take longer than a year.
Amaranath also said SLC would be footing Gunathilaka’s legal expenses, at least for now. “I’ve been communicating with people from all levels at the board,” Amaranath said. While the board was paying for Gunathilaka’s defense, for now, he expected those funds to be “recovered from him later – it’s a loan essentially”.
Meanwhile, the Executive Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced on Monday (07) that it has decided to suspend Danushka Gunathilaka from all forms of cricket with immediate effect.
Issuing a statement, the SLC said that it will not consider him for any selections following his arrest in Australia.
Police arrested and charged Gunathilaka on Sunday, hours after the national team lost to England at the Twenty20 World Cup.
Gunathilaka was ruled out during the first round with a hamstring injury but remained with the team in Australia.
He was arrested at a hotel in Sydney in the early hours of Sunday and charged with four counts of sexual intercourse without consent. (NewsWire)
