A group of officials belonging to the Executive Committee of the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka have in the recent past been instrumental in forming several new sport associations and in the process collected colossal amounts of funds from global parent bodies and well wishes, The Morning Telegraph can reveal today.
NOCSL Ex-Co officials namely Secretary General General Maxwell De Silva, Gamini Jayasinghe (Treasurer), Dampath Fernando (Chairman – Constitution Committee), Malinga Fernando, S.Gopinath, Dinesh Krishantha (Auditor) are those whose names reflected initially when an Olympic sport named Teqball was launched in 2019. Dinesh Krishantha the Auditor of this association is incidentally also the Treasurer of the Wrestling Federation.
Question marks have now been raised, seeking answers as to if these officials were serious in promoting new sports within the country or if they did so to line their pockets by receiving funds from parent bodies located in foreign countries, on the pretext of promoting these sports within the country.
Earlier, on the 14th of January 2020, Gamini Jayasinghe writing a letter to the International Federation of Teqball – Fédération Internationale de Teqball situated in Switzerland stated that the Teqball Federation Sri Lanka was fully formed and requested for assistance to conduct training in February and July 2020.
The Morning Telegraph has in its possession several invoices sent by NOCSL Treasurer Gamini Jayasinghe for this purpose.
The Teqball President Jayasinghe had been requesting for and receiving thousands of Euros for a considerable period of time, especially during the period he was appointed as the President of the Teqball Federation in Sri Lanka.
Also in our possession are several copies of monthly deposit slips for payments amounting to a steady amount of 500 Euros that have been made monthly by the International Federation of Teqball – Fédération Internationale de Teqball based in Switzerland.
More new sport associations formed
Meanwhile, another two sport associations that have been established by these said officials are Dance Sport (Malinga Fernando as President and Gamini Jayasinghe as Vice President) and Skiing and Snowboarding Association of Sri Lanka (Winter Sports).
Ransom money
Further, it can be revealed that on the 17th of March 2023, President Malinga Fernando of Dance Sport had requested and received a sum of Rs.800,000 from a company named Fortune Entertainment (Pvt) Ltd. The purpose of this request made by President Fernando was for the launch of the Dance Sport website and also to celebrate the the 2nd Anniversary of its association at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel Colombo.
It was alarming nevertheless to be informed of the following by our source – Quote – “Fortune Entertainment is the co-run chinese restaurant at NOCSL, whose owner had quite reluctantly parted with this payment of Rs 800,000 after being threatened that he may be in danger of having to wind up his business if he didnt part with this sum as a sponsorship.This is the ‘kappam’ (ransom money) they collected. These said NOCSL officials mainly Secretary General Maxwell De Silva and Treasurer Gamini Jayasinghe, along with Malinga Fernando, Major General (Rtd) Dampath Fernando and S.Gopinath are maestros in playing these games. They also had the support of Lailith Vithana (Chairman- Finance), who very professionally cooked the account books and covered up their acts quite beautifully for many years. They do this as a business. They set up sport associations and pocket funds and then hand the reins over to someone else and move on. How many people even know that such sport associations even exist? That is why we have been requesting for a Forensic Audit to be conducted even at the NOCSL for years. Despite it being approved to be conducted at the 2021 NOCSL AGM, they have been delaying in conducting it to date”.
Incidentally Dance Sports is now reported to be suspended by the Ministry of Sports with an investigation currently underway by the Fraud Bureau.
It has been said that two officials namely the Vice President Gamini Jayasinghe and S.Gopinath have been avoiding meeting officials of the Fraud Bureau when summoned to do so and have been relentless in using their influence to have this issue suppressed.
Despite multiple investigations being carried out Sec. Gen Maxi still hangs on
Despite having multiple investigations concurrently being carried out over the last 10 years for acts of fraud, corruption and human smuggling, the NOCSL Sec.Gen Maxwell De Silva still continues to be glued to his seat. It is quite alarming as to how these said investigations get postponed and further delayed. For example, even a completed investigation carried out by the SIU and that was sent to the Attorney General’s Department regarding a fraud charge, still remains dormant after almost five years. Many state that the NOCSL Treasurer Gamini Jayasinghe who works very closely with the NOCSL Sec.General has a hand in influencing investigating officials due to the clout he wields. It is believed that he built contacts with many government officials during the time he served the government as the Prisons Commissioner.
Media silence – journos taken on Paris 2024 Olympic joyride
Information further obtained reveals that many prominent journalists who were once very vocal, especially in exposing acts of fraud and corruption committed by NOCSL officials have also been silenced.
The reason being is that many of these journalists are now on a solidarity fund handled by Sec. Maxwell De Silva, Treasurer Gamini Jayasinghe and Accountant Gayani. It is also believed that a team of journalists have already been handpicked by the trio to be sent on a fully sponsored trip to Paris for the 2024 Olympic Games.
NOCSL needs to save face
The International Olympic Committee, the Olympic Council of Asia and also members belonging to several sport bodies in Sri Lanka are concerned that the NOCSL has fast lost its reputation due to several acts of fraud and corruption being exposed as of late. Many officials of these sports bodies who have mustered much respect are hell bent on having the NOCSL’s slate wiped clean.
However quite strangely some other officials such as Secretary General Maxwell De Silva, Gamini Jayasinghe (Treasurer), Chandana Liyanage (Basket Federation), Suranjith Premadasa (Equestrian) and Nishantha Piyasena (Pentathlon) who are accused of committing acts of fraud and corruption such as stealing exercise bicycles, pocketing Sports Ministry funds (US $ 10,000 for Rio Olympic Games), involved in the black market sale of London 2012 Olympic Games tickets and human smuggling (officials and athletes disappearing in Birmingham, UK at the 2022 Commonwealth Games) are those that have been opposing the Forensic Audit from being conducted. By the way, there won’t be any prizes for guessing, why?
Other stories published
IOC investigates Maxi over controversial OCA Election – (themorningtelegraph.com)
AG’s Department goes after ‘small fish’ – ‘big fish’ cases hushed up – (themorningtelegraph.com)
Sports – Sri Lanka’s Latest Human Smuggling Route – (themorningtelegraph.com)
NOCSL Secretary General Maxwell accused of stealing – again! – (themorningtelegraph.com)
Two NOCSL Ex-Co Members Resign & Flee After Being Exposed – (themorningtelegraph.com)
