The Court of Appeal today ordered to recall the warrant issued to arrest the Chairman of Selectors at Sri Lanka Cricket, Upul Tharanga related to a case filed on match-fixing.

The warrant was initially issued over the former cricketer’s failure to appear before the court pertaining to a case Upul Tharanga himself had filed concerning the Legends League cricket tournament held in Kandy.

On October 08, the Matale High Court issued an arrest warrant after Upul Tharanga failed to appear in court in connection with the match-fixing case. It was reported that Tharanga was unable to attend the hearing, as he was in the United States participating in a franchise cricket tournament.

Following this development, on October 16, the Court of Appeal issued an order suspending the arrest warrant previously issued by the Matale High Court against Upul Tharanga. In its order, the Court of Appeal instructed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) not to enforce the warrant issued by the Matale High Court. 

Upul Tharanga appeared before the Court of Appeal in person today, during which the court was informed that he had attempted to inform his unavailability for the case fixed for hearing on October 08 at the Matale High Court. 

The court was informed that Tharanga had taken all steps from October 01 to inform the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) Officer of his unavailability for the hearing on October 08, after which he was not informed of any issue prior to his departure from the country.

Screenshots of the call records had also been placed before the Court of Appeal, which was further informed that only on October 07 Upul Tharanga had been informed by the SIU Officer that the court may find fault with him and to retain a lawyer, despite having already informed the SIU in writing of his absence. 

The court was further informed that the prosecution who had used the documents submitted by Upul Tharanga to the SIU had moved the Matale High Court for a warrant for him to be arrested at the airport.

Commenting that the Petitioner had cooperated continuously, the Court of Appeal observed that seeking to arrest him at the airport was unreasonable.

Having been given an undertaking that Upul Tharanga would attend the hearing at the Matale High Court on January 15, 2025, the Court of Appeal ordered to invalidate the warrant by recalling the warrant issued on Upul Tharanga on October 08.

Counsel Nishan Sydney Premathiratne AAL appeared with Attorneys Shenali Dias and Vikum Jayasinghe on the instructions of Gamindu Karunasena for the Petitioner, Upul Tharanga, while DSG Manohara Jayasinghe, AAL appeared for the State. (Newswire)

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The Matale Magistrate’s Court has prohibited Indian cricket manager Yoni Patel who is accused of match-fixing during the 2024 Legends Cricket Trophy in Sri Lanka, from leaving the country. 

Matale Magistrate Ravindra Premaratne 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. 

The Judge also released Yoni Patel on two sureties of Rs. 500,000 each and a cash bail of Rs. 500,000. 

Earlier, the court had indicted Yoni Patel, the owner of the Kandy Samp Army team, on charges of match-fixing during the cricket tournament held in Kandy. 

An investigation was launched after a retired Sri Lankan cricketer and a New Zealand cricketer had alleged that Yoni 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 criminalize 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 $555,000 for match-fixing under laws introduced by Sports Minister Harin Fernando in 2019. (Newswire)

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The Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court has further extended the travel ban imposed on two Indian team managers over match-fixing allegations during the recent 2024 Legends Cricket Trophy in Sri Lanka. 

According to Lankadeepa Newspaper, Colombo Chief Magistrate Prasanna Alwis on Tuesday further extended the travel ban until June 13, 2024. 

The Chief Magistrate issued the order after taking up for consideration a request made by the Special Investigations Unit of the Sports Ministry to extend the travel ban for three months as they require more time to conduct their investigations into the allegations.

The travel ban that was imposed on Indian manager Yoni Patel and his assistant Pachalodia Akash on March 14, 2024, has thus been extended. 

An investigation was launched after a retired Sri Lankan cricketer and a New Zealand cricketer had alleged that the two managers had approached them to fix matches during the Legends Cricket Tournament in Kandy.  

Sri Lanka is the first South Asian nation to criminalize several offences related to match-fixing.

Offenders could face up to 10 years in jail and fines of up to $555,000 for match-fixing under laws introduced by Sports Minister Harin Fernando in 2019. (NewsWire)

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Former cricketer Sachithra Senanayake has been remanded on charges of match-fixing during the Lanka Premier League (LPL). 

The Colombo Chief Magistrate remanded the former cricketer until September 15 after he was produced in court today. 

Sachithra Senanayake was arrested earlier today after surrendering to the Special Investigation Unit of the Sports Ministry.

He is accused of trying to fix matches during the Lanka Premier League (LPL) in 2020.

It is alleged that Senanayake had approached two cricketers in the first edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) in 2020 via telephone from Dubai to fix matches.

In August 2023, the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court imposed a three-month travel ban on the former cricketer after a probe was launched into match-fixing allegations.

The former off-spinner has denied all the allegations, claiming them as baseless charges aimed at defaming him and his family.

Sachithra Senanayake (38) has played one Test, 49 ODIs and 24 T20 Internationals for Sri Lanka between 2012 and 2016. (NewsWire)

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