The National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOCSL) faces the risk of being banned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as its Secretary General, Maxwell De Silva, continues to ignore his suspension for ethical violations and misconduct.
The suspension, supported by both the IOC and the Olympic Council of Asia, stems from an Ethics Committee investigation into alleged financial misconduct involving De Silva and former NOCSL President Hemasiri Fernando, related to the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The investigation revealed troubling findings, including a government audit showing that De Silva and Fernando claimed $10,000 (€9,500) for travel and accommodation during the Rio Olympics, despite already receiving payments from the IOC. The inquiry also uncovered unauthorised actions, such as sending six individuals to the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games without approval from the Ministry of Sports.
In addition to De Silva and Fernando, other officials, including Vice Presidents Shirantha Peiris and Suranjith Premadas, are accused of corruption, including misusing funds for private shooting and horse-riding facilities.
Shirantha Peiris, who is on the Finance Committee, is also under investigation for importing arms and ammunition under the Rifle Shooting Federation and selling them privately.
Following the report, the IOC urged NOC President Suresh Subramaniam to hold an emergency Executive Board meeting and address the issue, as these governance problems were damaging the organisation’s reputation and affecting Sri Lanka’s participation in the Olympic movement.
Despite the seriousness of these findings, the NOC Executive Board, which met on 19 November, failed to act on the suspension request, going against the instructions of global and regional bodies. Additionally, Rifdy Fahmy, a key member of the Executive Committee, resigned to protect his dignity and reputation.
The issue is still under investigation by Sri Lanka’s Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of the Ministry of Sports and has been passed on to the Criminal Investigation Department.
