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Arjuna Ranatunga News : Former Cricketer and Minister Arjuna Ranatunga to Face Arrest in Alleged Rs 800 Million Oil Procurement Scam
Sri Lanka’s anti-corruption commission has moved to arrest former cricketer and ex-minister Arjuna Ranatunga over an alleged Rs 800 million loss to the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation linked to fuel procurement decisions.
Sri Lanka’s anti-corruption watchdog informed a court on Monday that former national cricket captain and ex-Minister Arjuna Ranatunga is to be arrested and produced before court in connection with an alleged oil procurement scam that reportedly caused a loss of nearly Rs 800 million to the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC).
According to Sri Lanka’s Daily Mirror, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) told the Chief Magistrate’s Court that preparations are underway to arrest Ranatunga after he was named as a suspect in the case.
The disclosure was made by CIABOC Assistant Director (Legal) Anusha Sammanthapperuma when former CPC Chairman Dhammika Ranatunga, who has already been arrested on corruption-related charges, was produced before court.
Sammanthapperuma informed the court that three long-term fuel procurement tenders scheduled for 2017–2018 had allegedly been cancelled, after which CPC opted to purchase fuel through spot tenders at significantly higher prices. This decision, she said, resulted in an estimated financial loss of nearly Rs 800 million to the state-owned corporation.
Based on these allegations, Dhammika Ranatunga was arrested and presented before court. He has been named the first suspect in the case, while Arjuna Ranatunga, who served as Minister of Petroleum Resources Development at the time, has been named as the second suspect.
The Bribery Commission told the court that Arjuna Ranatunga could not be arrested on Monday as he is currently overseas. Investigators requested the court’s intervention to remand the suspect, noting that the probe is still ongoing.
President’s Counsel Saliya Pieris, appearing on behalf of the suspect, submitted that his client has been fully cooperating with investigators and sought bail under suitable conditions in accordance with the Bail Act.
After considering the submissions, the Chief Magistrate ordered the suspect’s release on bail with two sureties of Rs 1 million each and imposed a foreign travel ban, according to the Daily Mirror.
