• Ahead of punitive measures against suspended head

Sri Lanka Badminton’s (SLB) Acting Secretary Chamara Aluthge says that punitive measures against its suspended President Roshan Gunawardena, will depend on the recommendations put forth by the body’s Disciplinary Committee headed by Attorney-at-Law Panduka Keerthinanda.

Gunawardena currently has been temporarily stood down by the General Committee of the SLB, following the revelation of a sexual harassment complaint lodged against him, by a newly-recruited female employee of the game’s domestic controlling body.

According to Aluthge, apart from the aforementioned complaint, the SLB’s General Committee has also submitted a charge sheet containing a spate of other allegations as well, to the suspended head of the institution.

However, he said they were still to receive any feedback from Gunawardena to those charges, leaving them with no other alternative but to rely on the outcome of the inquiry conducted by Keerthinanda.

Asked whether the upheaval linked to the former head had stalled its work, the Acting President dismissed such notions, and said on the contrary they were proceeding with their activities smoothly.

He added that a new body to the SLB will need to be formed moving forward, once the disciplinary probe and the separate police investigation into the complaint against the suspended President is concluded.

“I think it will take around a couple of months more for this episode to end,” Aluthge stated. “Once that side is cleared, then we will need to form a new Committee to steer the SLB ship to calmer waters. So, let’s see how it goes.”

It has also been reported that the suspended head of the SLB in the wake of the disclosure of the sexual harassment allegation against him, had submitted a resignation letter to its Acting President and Acting Secretary Jaliya Jayasekara, citing increased professional and family commitments effective 4 August.