Sachithra Senanayake asked to provide voice sample
Amachine malfunction delayed the collection of a voice sample from former Sri Lankan cricketer Sachithra Senanayake, who is accused of match-fixing. Senanayake, currently out on bail, was in remand custody due to alleged attempts to entice two players of the Colombo Kings franchise into corrupt practices during the inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League in 2020.
The malfunction prevented the voice test, which was requested to match an audio tape related to the match-fixing allegations. The accused was instructed to provide a voice sample to be compared with the tape in possession of the investigators.
Senior Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris, representing the Special Investigation Unit of the Ministry of Sports, asked the court to extend the travel ban on the accused, as the investigations hinged on the completion of the voice test.
Consequently, Senanayake's foreign travel ban was prolonged until the investigations conclude, and the case was scheduled for May 17 next year.
Senanayake, a member of the 2014 T20 World Cup winning team, faced charges in 2020 after former Sri Lankan international Dhammika Prasad and domestic cricketer Tharindu Ratnayake reported alleged approaches to underperform to the local anti-corruption officer. Senanayake is charged under the Prevention of Offences related to Sports Act in 2019, which carries a maximum prison term of 10 years or a maximum fine of Rs.100mn, or both.
An investigation initiated in 2020, following a request from ICC Anti-Corruption head Alex Marshall, revealed that the suspected cricketer had allegedly contacted both players via WhatsApp to influence them.