Dhammika, sent on compulsory leave by SLC, to be appointed by Yaha Paalanaya as port chief!
- Oct 06, 2015
The media reported recently that port and shipping minister Arjuna Ranatunga’s brother Dhammika was to be appointed chairman of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority.
The present day ‘generation of swans’ who voted for ‘Yaha Paalanaya’ and the Sri Lankan people who forget their past in a haste fail to remember that Dhammika is a person who had been sent on compulsory leave for having committed irregularities as the CEO of Sri Lanka Cricket.
On 15 November 2000 he was sacked and thereafter he avoided investigations against him and secretly went to the US, where he had been living for more than 15 years.
Thilanga Sumathipala, president of SLC at the time, removed Dhammika, and when he was arrested by Chandrika government to exact revenge, Dhammika especially came to Sri Lanka to give evidence against him, and went back to the US on the same day after giving enough evidence to send Thilanga inside.
The enmity between Dhammika and Thilanga was over a television rights contract for matches of the Sri Lanka team.
India’s Sony had the television rights of the Sri Lanka team at the time and their main competitor was World Sports Nimbus. Thilanga supported Nimbus, while Dhammika supported Sony. The Ranatungas alone got hold of the commission, which led to the rivalry with Thilanga, who used his powers to expel Dhammika.
According to latest reports, Dhammika returned from the US on January 08 after the election of the ‘Yaha Paalana’ government to take up permanent residence.
People will soon get to know the real face of ‘Yaha Paalanaya’ when Dhammika is brought back after all his swindling of millions from SLC and being sent on compulsory leave.
- Thirdman of Lords cricket ground
The following links are for some of the media articles regarding Dhammika and Thilanga at the time:
