Colombo — Sri Lankan authorities are preparing to arrest former cricket captain and ex-petroleum minister Arjuna Ranatunga over corruption allegations, a court was told on Monday.
Investigators informed a Colombo magistrate that Ranatunga is currently abroad and will be taken into custody upon his return. The case relates to alleged irregularities during his tenure as minister of petroleum.
The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption said Ranatunga and his brother are accused of changing long-term fuel procurement procedures and approving costly spot purchases, causing an estimated 800 million Sri Lankan rupees in losses to the state.
Ranatunga’s brother Dhamika Ranatunga, former chairman of the state-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, was arrested on Monday and later released on bail. A travel ban has been imposed on him. The next hearing is scheduled for March 13.
Ranatunga, 62, famously captained Sri Lanka to its historic 1996 Cricket World Cup victory. The case is part of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s broader anti-corruption drive.
