Once celebrated for delivering Sri Lanka’s greatest cricketing triumph, Arjuna Ranatunga is now facing the prospect of arrest in a corruption case linked to his ministerial tenure.
Authorities plan to take the 62-year-old former captain into custody over a series of fuel procurement decisions that allegedly cost the state millions — a Colombo court was told on Monday, according to a report by AFP.
Ranatunga, who was serving as Minister of Petroleum Resources Development at the time, is accused alongside his brother Dhammika Ranatunga of bypassing long-term fuel contracts in favor of costlier spot purchases. The charges stem from deals made in 2017, when Dhammika served as chairman of the state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC).
According to Sri Lanka’s anti-graft commission, the financial damage was significant.
“The total loss to the state from 27 purchases is 800 million rupees,” the country’s bribery investigation body stated in court.
That amount was equivalent to just over US$ 5 million at the time the deals were made in 2017.
Legal action extends to Ranatunga’s brother
While Arjuna Ranatunga remains overseas, the court has been informed that he will be arrested upon his return to Sri Lanka. His brother Dhammika was arrested on Monday and later released on bail, set at 1 million Sri Lankan rupees (approx. US$ 3.2k).
The magistrate also issued a travel ban on Dhammika, who holds dual citizenship in Sri Lanka and the United States.
The Bribery Commission stated that three scheduled long-term fuel tenders were canceled and replaced by spot tenders, which allegedly led to inflated costs and financial loss. Dhammika has been named the first suspect in the case, with Arjuna listed as the second.
A broader crackdown on political corruption
The case is part of a wider anti-corruption push by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s administration, which has promised to tackle long-standing allegations of misuse of power by public figures.
Another brother, Prasanna Ranatunga — a former tourism minister — was arrested just last month in a separate insurance fraud case. He is already serving a two-year suspended sentence from a previous extortion conviction dating back to 2022.
The next hearing in Arjuna and Dhammika’s case is scheduled for March 13.
A fall from grace for a national icon
For many Sri Lankans, the news is difficult to digest. Ranatunga, who captained the team to its historic 1996 World Cup victory, had long been admired for his outspoken views and principled stance on cricket and politics alike.
His reputation for integrity was once symbolized in a story he shared about his early days in cricket — a story now resurfacing in the wake of the charges.
“I got 250 rupees (approx. US$ 0.81 – at today’s rate) for my first Test and traveled by train to the game. After that Lipton Tea came in and said they would offer me 250,000 rupees (approx. US$ 808.8). to feature in an advertisement. I asked them to meet my mother. And she told them, ‘My son is not for sale’. I was lying in my bed that night when she came and sat next to me and explained her decision. I still remember what she said: ‘Son, remember, never ever sell your talent and face for anything,’” Ranatunga once said, as quoted by AFP, recalling his mother’s insistence on principle over profit.
Court proceedings continue in high-profile corruption case
As legal proceedings move forward, Ranatunga’s absence from the country adds a layer of complexity to the high-profile case. While his cricketing legacy remains intact, the outcome of this investigation may redefine how the public remembers one of Sri Lanka’s most iconic sporting figures.
The spotlight now turns to March 13, when the court reconvenes — and potentially, when a national hero’s future becomes entangled with the justice system.
