SLC officials mull destruction of old documents

COLOMBO (News1st) : Officials of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) are mulling the destruction of documents on previous transactions and projects, News 1st has learnt. Sujeewa Godaliyadda, had put forth a proposal to the Executive Committee of SLC, on March 30, to destroy the documents which are at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The proposal aimed at clearing up space in which the documents had been stored. The cricketing authority's legal unit, submitting its recommendations said, SLC has not been prevented from disposing documents that are more than 10 years old. It had noted that a public authority is not bound to provide documents that are more than 10 years old according to the Right to Information Act. "This period is for storing and releasing documents under the right to information. That does not mean that any state institution can destroy records that are 10 or 12 years old," Jagath Liyanarachchi, a lawyer, said. He pointed out that the Right to Information Act aims at preserving records and not destroying them. "Therefore, no institution can destroy records that can be used in investigations out of fear of being exposed as wrongdoers," Liyanarachchi noted. News 1st has learnt that the documents, which are currently at the cricket stadium, have not been destroyed yet.