Attorney General (AG) Parinda Ranasinghe Jnr. has indicted Prem Thakkar, the owner of Galle Marvels, one of the six teams that competed in the first-ever Lanka T10 League held in Pallekele 2024, before the Kandy High Court.

Thakkar, an Indian national, has been charged with enticing ex-West Indies international cricketer Andre Fletcher to perform in an underhand manner, that amounts to match-fixing, in a game that Galle Marvels took part in.

The AG’s Office filed the case last week at the Kandy High Court, under Provisions of the Prevention of Offences Related to Sports Act of Sri Lanka, which classifies match fixing as a criminal offence. 

Fletcher was bought for a fee of USD 60,000 by Galle Marvels, owned by Thakkar, who had arrived in Sri Lanka on 8 December 2024.

Upon arrival, Thakkar had visited a casino in Colombo and spent around $ 50,000 to gamble, an incident procured by CCTV footage and produced as witness material to the Court, revealed. 

The accused then had returned to his hotel room at Hilton Colombo, where Thakkar is said to have had a lengthy discussion with Fletcher, with the intention of tempting the West Indian, to be engaged in a match fixing act.

Thakkar had left for Kandy the following day, while Fletcher approached the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Anti-Corruption Unit to report the incident. 

In response, the ICC had advised Fletcher to record the next discussion as proof. 

Subsequently, the following meeting that took place at Cinnamon Citadel Hotel in Kandy with Thakkar, was recorded by Fletcher as proof.

Thakkar’s arrest was made thereafter by Sri Lanka’s Sports Ministry’s Special Investigation Unit (SIU), under the Prevention of Offences Related to Sports Act. 

He was produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate Court and was later released on bail with the passport impounded. 

The Colombo Chief Magistrate enlarged Thakkar on cash bail of Rs. 500,000 and two surety bails of Rs. 5 million each. 

Fletcher alleged that Thakkar offered him $ 15,000 to intentionally lose a match and $ 30,000, to allow a ‘nominated bowler’, to participate under questionable circumstances. 

Additionally, Fletcher claimed that he was offered the captaincy of Galle Marvels, as part of the brokered deal.

Sri Lanka, which became the first country to criminalise corruption in sports, has seen a steep rise in match-fixing controversies in recent years. 

During the previous edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL), Dambulla Thunders’ owner Tamim Rahman, a Bangladeshi national of British origin, was arrested on similar charges. 

On the same day, Viranjith Thambugala, Chairperson of Aura Lanka and a previous owner of the Dambulla franchise, was nabbed over allegations of financial fraud.

In a separate incident, two individuals associated with the Legend Cricket League – a seven-team an SLC unsanctioned T20 tournament, held in Pallekele in March 2023 – were apprehended, for attempting to coerce former players, including Sri Lanka’s Upul Tharanga and New Zealand’s Neil Broom, into match-fixing. 

Thakkar becomes the fourth individual accused of match fixing in Sri Lanka, during the recent past.