Arjuna Ranatunga Faces Arrest Over Corruption Allegations in Sri Lanka

Arjuna Ranatunga's Legal Troubles

Arjuna Ranatunga, the former cricket captain who led Sri Lanka to its first World Cup victory, is facing potential arrest. Authorities in Sri Lanka are preparing to detain him due to corruption allegations linked to his tenure as the Minister of Petroleum. According to the anti-corruption agency, both Ranatunga and his brother are accused of altering the procurement process for long-term oil contracts, resulting in immediate purchases at inflated prices. An inquiry commission revealed that during the contracts made in 2017, the state incurred a loss of approximately 800 million Sri Lankan Rupees (around 23.5 crore rupees) from 27 purchases.

The commission informed Colombo Magistrate Asanga Bodaragama that Ranatunga is currently abroad and will be arrested upon his return. His elder brother, Dhammika Ranatunga, who was the chairman of the state-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corporation at the time, was arrested on Monday but later released on bail. The magistrate has imposed travel restrictions on Dhammika, who holds dual citizenship in Sri Lanka and the United States.

The next hearing is scheduled for March 13. The 62-year-old left-handed batsman famously led Sri Lanka to victory against Australia in the 1996 Cricket World Cup, marking a significant achievement in the nation's cricket history. The case against the Ranatunga brothers is part of a broader anti-corruption initiative launched by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's government, which came to power last year with a commitment to tackle widespread corruption.

In related news, another brother of the Ranatunga family, Prasanna, a former tourism minister, was arrested last month in connection with an insurance fraud case. This case is still pending, but he was previously convicted in June 2022 for extortion against a businessman and received a two-year suspended prison sentence.