Former National Badminton champion L.R. Ariyananda who is now an official fighting for a cleaner sport says the mystery of the missing audited accounts of the Sri Lanka Badminton Association for the year 2010 could open the lid on a multi-million Rupee racket of corrupt officials exploiting innocent youth players.

However his repeated pleas to the Sports Minister to investigate the matter has mysteriously fallen on deaf ears paving way for the culprits with powerful political connections to go scot free.

Ariyananda who is now the President of the Western province Badminton Association has raised the question about the annual accounts when the Annual General Meeting of the Sri Lanka Badminton Association (SLBA) was held on July 8 this year.

Sports Ministry Assistant Director Abeysinghe who chaired the AGM agreed to the point as elections could not be held without previous year’s accounts according to the Sports Law. Abeysinghe had ordered the officials who were elected to present the accounts within a month of assuming office.

At a meeting the Sports Minister had been informed by the SLBA Affiliates that the audit of the SLBA had been done by the same firm which did their accounts and the Minister ordered a fresh audit.

However, the accounts are missing todate and Ariyananda points out those discrepancies in accounts run into millions making it no small matter.

SLBA had collected money running into several millions from schoolchildren for various tours, contravening Education Ministry rules and accounts for none of the tours have been made available by officials.

The Schools Badminton Association is getting ready to embark on another tour with a massive contingent in December to Singapore, collecting Rs. 95,000 from students.

“No one cares to investigate this racket because powerful officials with political connections are involved. They collect huge amounts of money as they please and never account for them. By turning a blind eye, officials are encouraging these acts. SLBA has now actually turned into a den of thieves than a sports body” said Ariyananda.

Source: Daily Mirror - Sri Lanka