Worried Sumathipala looks to quash rumours

Thilanga Sumathipala, the president of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), has made a personal plea to the country's prime minister, Ranil Wickramasinghe, for an urgent investigation into a series of newspaper articles linking him to underworld killers.

Sumathipala released details of a personal letter to the prime minister in the media following the third week of front-page allegations by the Sunday Leader newspaper.

The articles alleged that Sumathipala had a close relationship with a mafia figure called Dammika Amarasinghe, who is facing trial for a series of contract murders. The newspaper also alleged that Sumathipala was involved in a failed plot to assassinate the Sunday Leader editor.

Sumathipala refused to make public comment after the first two articles appeared, but broke his silence after being accused of authorising the use of cricket-board funds to pay for a trip for Amarasinghe to watch the 1999 World Cup in England.

On Monday, he called for an emergency meeting of the board to discuss the allegations. The executive committee unanimously resolved to conduct an investigation into the alleged use of funds, announcing in a media release: "We have taken this action to clear the name of the then Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka and have asked for a full report from the auditors within 14 days."

Sumathipala, who is also the chairman of Sri Lanka Telecom, a government-controlled telecommunications giant, claimed that the newspaper has been "continuously and sustainedly endeavouring to humiliate me in the public eye by making false accusations".

In a personal letter to the prime minister, in which he requested an urgent investigation into the behaviour of the newspaper, Sumathipala continued: "This malicious smear campaign is replete with inaccuracies, falsehoods, manipulatively misleading distortions and innuendos."

Sumathipala also asked for special security and protection, arguing that his family was now in danger. "It has been written with calculated intent to incite underworld elements to kill me and I consider this is a grave danger and threat to my life."

Sumathipala was elected as board president for the third time in June, winning a landslide victory against the former national captain Arjuna Ranatunga.