NOC issues formal ‘Show Cause’ notices against three NSA officials
The National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOCSL) has initiated disciplinary proceedings against three officials from different national sports bodies (National Sports Association or NSA) after determining that their complaints to People’s Bank resulted in the temporary suspension of the NOCSL’s bank accounts and caused significant financial and operational disruption.
Months after the incident took place, NOCSL President Suresh Subramaniam this week issued formal Notices to Show Cause to Wing Commander (Rtd) Chandana Liyanage, Mr. Jaswar Umar and Mr. R.A.K. Jeewantha. Liyanage is the Secretary General of the Basketball Federation of Sri Lanka while Umar serves as the President of Sri Lanka Football. Jeewantha is a Vice President of the Gymnastic Association of Sri Lanka.
NOC Chief Suresh Subramaniam's notice outlines three preliminary concerns
These notices relate to letters and emails sent by the three individuals earlier this year to the Cinnamon Gardens branch of People’s Bank. The complaints questioned the legitimacy of the signatories to the NOCSL bank accounts and raised concerns regarding the appointment of the Committee’s Treasurer, Shirantha Peries.
According to the NOCSL, these communications prompted the bank to suspend and temporarily deactivate the Committee’s accounts in line with regular banking procedure. As a result, the NOCSL was unable to make essential payments such as staff salaries, utilities and other operational expenses. The Committee states that this action led to severe financial losses and caused considerable difficulty in maintaining regular functions.
Each of the three notices outlines several preliminary concerns. None of the letters were sent on official federation letterheads. None of the authors identified the authority under which they were acting. The NOCSL maintains that these actions were unauthorised and that the individuals had no standing to address matters that fall fully within the mandate of the NOCSL Executive Board. The notices go further and state that the letters appear to have been written for personal reasons and with the intention of disrupting the administration of the NOCSL.
The NOCSL also rejects the allegations made regarding the Treasurer. The complaints had questioned the validity of Mr. Peries’ appointment and alleged that his use of funds had not been approved by the Executive Board or by the General Membership. The NOCSL notes that the trio failed to cite any constitutional provisions to support these claims. The Committee also points out that the officials did not raise their concerns with the Executive Board at any stage before approaching the bank. This omission, according to the NOCSL, caused irreparable damage to the organisation’s reputation.
Several constitutional provisions are cited in the notices. Article 16 assigns the responsibility for managing the Committee’s finances to the Executive Board. Article 8 requires all members to respect decisions of the Committee’s governing bodies and to act in accordance with the Olympic Charter and the IOC Code of Ethics. Article 6 lists behaviours that can disqualify a person from serving as a representative of a national federation. Article 27 specifies that all disputes must first be referred to the Executive Board and only thereafter, if unresolved, to the General Assembly.
The NOCSL states that by directly contacting People’s Bank and by failing to communicate any concerns internally, all three individuals violated these provisions. The Committee accuses them of committing wilful misconduct by sending baseless and irresponsible complaints and of causing financial and reputational damage to the NOCSL.
The three officials have been instructed to provide written explanations within 10 days, stating why disciplinary action should not be taken against them. The notices warn that failure to respond within the required time will lead to disciplinary measures under the NOCSL Constitution.
The firm stance of the NOCSL signals a renewed commitment to enforcing internal governance procedures and safeguarding the authority of its Executive Board.
Sri Lanka’s premier sport body went through a turbulent period this year with its former Secretary General, Maxwell de Silva, getting a five year ban from holding any position within the institute for violating multiple provisions of the constitution. There were the resignations of Treasurer Gamini Jayasinghe, Vice President Suranjith Premadasa and the suspension of Assistant Secretary Chandana Liyanage during this period.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC), who was closely monitoring the developments of its member body had categorically stated that NOCSL should get rid of all corrupt elements before holding elections. For this a forensic audit is ongoing and NOCSL says once that is completed and they get the greenlight from the parent body, it would go for elections clearing its way for men of honour holding office.