1996 World Cup hero Arjuna Ranatunga faces arrest in oil scam probe

According to local media reports, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) informed a court on Monday that it intends to arrest Ranatunga and produce him before the court in connection with an investigation into an alleged financial loss of nearly Rs. 800 million to the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC).

The Bribery Commission said Ranatunga has been named as a suspect in a case involving irregular fuel tenders awarded at inflated prices, which investigators allege caused significant losses to the State-owned petroleum entity, reported Newswire.

Ranatunga’s brother, Dhammika Ranatunga, who served as Chairman of the CPC during the period under investigation, was arrested and produced before court on Monday in connection with the same probe. He was later granted bail.

According to investigators, the alleged offences relate to procurement decisions taken during Dhammika Ranatunga’s tenure as CPC chairman, Newswire said.

The former cricketer has not publicly responded to the allegations so far. The next hearing in the case is reportedly scheduled for March 13.

Arjuna Ranatunga famously captained Sri Lanka to a historic victory in the 1996 Cricket World Cup, leading a dynamic team that defeated Australia in the final — widely regarded as one of the greatest achievements in the history of One-Day International cricket.