Former Sri Lankan cricketer Sachithra Senanayake, who had been detained on match-fixing allegations, was granted bail by the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court.
The magistrate, in issuing the order, clarified that the defendant would be released on bail as there was no evidence to suggest that he had influenced any witnesses during the investigative period.
However, the overseas travel ban imposed on Senanayake will continue to be enforced as per the Colombo Magistrate’s Court directive.
Senanayake was taken into custody on 6 September after voluntarily surrendering to the Special Investigations Unit of the Sports Ministry in response to the match-fixing allegations against him.
The 38-year-old had allegedly engaged in phone conversations from Dubai with two cricketers participating in the inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) in 2020, encouraging them to engage in match-fixing during the tournament.
The Lanka Premier League took place from 27 November to 17 December 2020, in Hambantota, Sri Lanka.
In 2020, a media report had claimed that Senanayake had contacted two cricketers involved in the first edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) in 2020, urging them to engage in corrupt activities during the inaugural LPL tournament via phone calls made from Dubai.
The former Sri Lanka off-spinner vehemently denied any wrongdoing, asserting that the allegations were part of an attempt to tarnish his reputation and character, and he denied any association with them.