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New Delhi: Former Sri Lanka skipper Arjuna Ranatunga could be arrested over corruption charges during his tenure as the country's petroleum minister.
The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) told Colombo Magistrate Asanga Bodaragama that authorities plan to nab the 1996 ODI-World Cup winning captain when he returns from abroad.
Ranatunga and his elder brother, Dhammika Ranatunga are accused of corrupt practices during an oil procurement deal that allegedly took place during his tenure in 2017.
He allegedly violated procedures while awarding long-term oil procurement contracts and made costlier spot purchases and the investigation is part of Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's anti-corruption campaign that is aimed at addressing past political wrongdoings.
Ranatunga is under scanner for allegations of altering standard fuel tender procedures during the perios when his brother was chairman of the state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation.
It is accused that instead of following competitive long-term contracts, they approved repeated “spot purchases” of fuel at higher prices, with authorities claiming that it was aimed to favour particular suppliers at the cost of the government's financial loss.
A total of 27 such fuel purchases resulted in an estimated loss of around 800 million Sri Lankan rupees (Rs 23.5 crore), CIABOC told the Colombo Magistrate, but refrained from disclosing the current location of Ranatunga abroad.
Sri Lankan authorities have informed the court that Arjuna Ranatunga will be arrested upon his return to the country. It has not been disclosed where the 60-year-old is currently located.
The 60-year-old was last visible publicly around November and left the country when probe gathered pace. His elder brother, a dual citizen of Sri Lanka and USA, was arrested and later released on bail but has a travel ban imposed on him.
Another brother, Prasanna Ranatunga, a former minister of tourism/urban development was earlier convicted in a separate extortion case and received a suspended prison term.
The next court hearing on the case against Ranatunga will be held on March 13, 2026.
Middle order batter Ranatunga represented Sri Lanka in 93 Tests and 269 ODIs between 1982 and 1999, amassing over 13,000 international runs.
Once he retired, the left-handed batter moved into administration and politics, serving as president of Sri Lanka Cricket and later headed committees under the aegis of sports ministry.
