Sports Minister orders Forensic audit on SLC

• Report due in two weeks
• Report of separate audit commissioned by SLC last year due on Friday
• Ministry to make determination after completing audits

By Chathuri Dissanayake

The Minister of Sports Harin Fernando yesterday ordered the Competent Authority to carry out a forensic audit on the financial transactions of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) from 2016-2018. Minister Harin Fernando has requested the competent authority Sports Ministry secretary Chulananda Perera to produce a report on the audit within two weeks. 

“The audit was commissioned to investigate into irregularities in the SLC and we will see what the outcome is,” Perera said speaking to Daily FT. The board October 2018 commissioned Ernst and Young Accounting firm to conduct an audit following revelations of attempts to embezzle funds by individuals working within the institution.

The second audit is to be carried out in spite of the report of the first audit being due on Friday.

“Forensic audit goes beyond a normal audit, it can go to the source of the transaction and find out information and get more details, we will speak in detail after the audit is conducted,” he said.

Emphasising that the audit is not done on the team or any individual players, Perera said that the audit is to be carried out on “certain transactions” of the Sri Lanka Cricket Board.

The election of SLC, which has been under a competent authority since July last year, is set to be held on 21 February where some of the individuals who were holding office during the period under scrutiny are set to run for elections again.

The SLC has been under controversy over corruption allegations prompting the International Cricket Council (ICC) to term the institution as one of the most corrupt in the field. Last week, an official in the Board was sent on compulsory leave following an attempt by him to bribe the Minister to influence the selection process, Perera confirmed. In a bid to tackle widespread corruption in the Sri Lankan cricket field, the ICC announced a two-week amnesty period for players to come forward with information on attempts of bribery for match fixing and selection. The ICC last week announced that the move had encouraged a number of players and other stakeholders to come forward.