SPORTS DESK: World Cup Hero Arjuna Ranatunga Faces Arrest in Corruption Case
Sri Lanka’s celebrated 1996 World Cup-winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga now stares down serious corruption charges from his days as petroleum minister.
Authorities vow to detain him the moment he steps back on home soil, part of a broader crackdown on graft under the current administration.
This twist adds a somber chapter to a legacy once defined by on-field triumphs.
Probe Targets 2017 Oil Deals
Investigators from the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption zeroed in on decisions made during Ranatunga’s ministerial stint in 2017.
They claim he and his brother Dhammika, then head of the state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, bypassed standard long-term tender rules for fuel buys.
Instead, the duo greenlit 27 emergency spot purchases at premium rates, allegedly draining 800 million Sri Lankan rupees from public coffers.
That sum, roughly 23.5 crore Indian rupees, underscores the financial sting felt by the nation still reeling from economic woes.
Brother’s Custody and Court Rulings
Dhammika Ranatunga, holding dual Sri Lankan-US citizenship, landed in handcuffs last Monday and faced a Colombo magistrate.
Released on bail soon after, he now grapples with a strict no-travel order to keep him in the country.
The court, updated by the anti-graft body, set the next hearing for March 13, 2026, giving time for deeper digs.
Arjuna, overseas at present, got word that his arrest awaits, ratcheting up pressure on the family.
Ripple Effects on the Ranatunga Clan
This isn’t isolated fallout; another sibling, ex-minister Prasanna Ranatunga, drew cuffs last month over an insurance swindle probe.
Such high-stakes cases signal the new government’s zero-tolerance vibe on elite misconduct.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s team, swept in on a clean-governance pledge, eyes these actions as test cases for accountability.
For Ranatunga, the man who once rallied an underdog squad to glory, the pitch now feels unforgivingly hostile.
- 27 spot tenders flagged for overpricing.
- Dual-citizen brother under surveillance.
- Broader family scrutiny in a separate fraud inquiry.
As whispers grow about Ranatunga’s travel plans, many wonder if this marks the end of untouchable status for sports stars turned statesmen. Justice, it seems, bats last in Sri Lanka’s ongoing reform innings.