26 July 2023 11:02 am Views - 280
President of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Shammi Silva said he and the Executive Committee members would resign if it is proven that SLC had in fact funded the travel of celebrities and family members of the Ex-Co to Australia last year for the T20 World Cup.
A draft of the Auditor General’s report following a special audit into the T20 World Cup expenditure of SLC, which is to be tabled before parliament, highlighted that a sum of approximately Rs. 68 million had been spent on travel to Australia.
It also pointed out that several individuals who did not belong to the SLC Ex-Co had received supporting letters to obtain Australian visas.
While admitting that the supporting letters had indeed been issued to celebrities and members of Ex-Co members, Silva said SLC did not “spend a cent” on their travel.
“Nowhere in the report does it say that that the travel of celebrities or family members of those in the Ex-Co was funded by SLC,” Silva exerted.
“We will resign if it is proven that even a cent was spent on these individuals,” he added, questioning how a confidential report that was sent to the Sports Minister to be forwarded to SLC was leaked to the media.
Silva also clarified that the practice of issuing letters in support of visa applications for events such as the World Cup, was not a new practice at SLC.
“We issue visa letters for any stake holder of SLC, who is trustworthy,” Silva said, though not giving a clear answers to questions on why supporting letters were issued to three celebrities.