Audit exposes misdeeds of Sri Lanka Cricket

COLOMBO (News1st): An audit carried out by the National Audit Office revealed several irregularities that had taken place as Sri Lanka Cricket handed over broadcasting rights between 2013 and 2020. Bids for handing over broadcasting rights had been called on the 14th of February 2013, while the bids of four entities had been opened on the 16th of March that year. According to a recent audit on Sri Lanka Cricket, steps had been taken to alter the value of the bids after the bids had been opened following the closing date. Nimbus Communications Ltd., that submitted a bid of 52,506,000 US dollars had later reduced the value of their bid to 40,615,178 US dollars. The audit had revealed that the Executive Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket, on the 13th of June 2013, had decided to handover the bid to Taj Television Pvt. Ltd. Sri Lanka Cricket had told the auditors that it had signed the agreement for handing over broadcasting rights in Colombo on the 18th of December 2013, while Taj Television Pvt. Ltd. had signed it in Dubai on the 14th of January 2014. The audit notes that it had taken 27 days for Sri Lanka Cricket to send the agreement to Taj Television Pvt. Ltd.after signing the document. In his observations, the Auditor General has raised concerns regarding the manner in which the agreement had been signed by backdating it. It was Nishantha Ranatunga who had served as the Secretary of Sri Lanka Cricket when the agreement had been signed. The audit has revealed several irregularities concerning Sri Lanka Cricket during the process of handing over broadcasting rights. News 1st will reveal more details on this matter in the coming days.