Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has denied paying Deshabandu Tennakoon a salary of Rs. 150,000, as alleged by Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP Hesha Withanage during a parliamentary debate.
In a statement, Sri Lanka Cricket clarified that Deshabandu Tennakoon was not given any payment, laptop, mobile phone, or other perks, and that he did not serve as a consultant or in any other capacity within the organization.
The statement from Sri Lanka Cricket read:
“Sri Lanka Cricket strongly rejects the baseless and false allegations made by MP Hesha Withanage during the parliamentary debate on the Appropriation Bill held on 18th March 2025.
During the debate, MP Withanage alleged that Sri Lanka Cricket had paid the then Inspector General of Police, Deshabandu Tennakoon, a salary of Rs. 150,000 and provided him with a laptop, a mobile phone, and other privileges as per an executive committee decision.
It was stated that these actions were considered bribery and that Sri Lanka Cricket officials would be held responsible under the provisions of the law for giving a bribe.”
Sri Lanka Cricket further stated that the allegations are completely false, baseless, and devoid of any factual basis.
“We would like to state that Sri Lanka Cricket is keenly aware of its primary responsibility to ensure the highest level of security for foreign national teams, internationally. Tours are considered to be a source of security for players, events, and visiting dignitaries, including heads of state. Therefore, Sri Lanka Cricket is continuously in touch with Sri Lankan security officials, including high-ranking military officers and senior police officers, to maintain the safety and security of all involved.
In this regard, it is common and essential practice to seek the assistance of active and retired high-ranking officers to ensure comprehensive security measures during international cricket tours.
During Mr. Deshabandu Tennakoon’s tenure as Senior Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of the Western Province, Sri Lanka Cricket sought his expertise in security matters related to international tours.
This request was made at a time when the country was experiencing a “new normal” due to the Covid pandemic, and Sri Lanka Cricket had to take extra precautions to implement the Covid protocols mandated by the health authorities to ensure the safety of players and officials involved in international and domestic cricket tournaments.
Such measures helped Sri Lanka Cricket to conduct several international and domestic tournaments without any disruption during that period.
As per our request, as a mark of professionalism and adherence to official protocols, Tennakoon informed Sri Lanka Cricket that prior permission from higher authorities was required due to his active duty status.
Later, Tennakoon informed Sri Lanka Cricket that as an active police officer, he was not authorized to perform any special duties outside of his official responsibilities.
However, considering the national importance of such activities, he assured that he was ready to provide the necessary security support as required.
Sri Lanka Cricket strongly condemns the baseless and misleading statements made by MP Hesha Withanage under parliamentary privileges and requests that he act responsibly when issuing public statements so as not to cause unnecessary damage to the reputation and integrity of institutions and individuals.”**
The statement from Sri Lanka Cricket highlighted the importance of maintaining good relations with security officials to ensure safety during high-profile international cricket events.
