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Incident at 1999 Cricket Board elections: CID directed to commence investigations

by Sarath Malalasekera

Interior Minister John Amaratunga yesterday directed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to commence investigations into the incident at the Cricket Board Headquarters on March 28, 1999 where the elections were held to elect the President of the Cricket Board.

The two contestants for the Presidency were former Cricket Board President Tilanga Sumathipala and former Tea Board Chairman Clifford Ratwatte.

It was revealed that on the day of the elections, several armed personnel attached to the President's Security Division had entered the Cricket Board room and threatened the officials. At this moment, the head of the PSD Nihal Karunaratne had also been seen in the vicinity.

PSD men who were in civvies with arms had not only entered the Cricket Board room, but also had been waiting outside the Cricket Board premises at Maitland Crescent, Colombo 7 on the day of the incident.

Minister Amaratunga also directed the CID to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the complaint made by Dhammika Ranatunga, then Chief Executive Officer of the Cricket Board, to the Cinnamon Gardens Police on the day of the incident.

The CID is investigating to ascertain the veracity of the video cassettes and several pictures published in the electronic and print media about the incident that occurred at the Cricket Board premises on March 28, 1999.

The CID was also directed by Minister Amaratunga to conduct investigations into all the complaints made to the Cinnamon Gardens Police on the day of the incident at the Cricket Board premises.

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