Sri Lanka’s sports minister resigned on Monday, only hours after accusing President Ranil Wickremesinghe of attempting to murder him over his efforts to clean up corruption at the cricket board.
According to officials, Roshan Ranasinghe was fired before of Monday’s weekly cabinet meeting after telling parliament that Wickremesinghe should be held accountable if he was slain.
“I fear I could be killed because of my work to clean up the cricket board,” Ranasinghe told parliament, increasing a spat with Wickremesinghe, who had been at odds with the minister over the management of Sri Lanka Cricket.
“If I am assassinated on the road, the president and his chief of staff will be responsible,” he stated.
Wickremesinghe did not respond immediately, but his office confirmed that the minister had been fired.
Ranasinghe fired the elected cricket board earlier this month after accusing them of massive corruption, which they deny and are contesting in court.
The cricket board is the wealthiest sporting institution in the otherwise impoverished island nation.
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) was suspended earlier this month by the International Cricket Council for failing to ensure there was no government intervention in its business, in violation of the international body’s guidelines.
Ranasinghe has refused the president’s request to rescind the board’s dismissal.
Three weeks ago, the parliament backed the sports minister by passing a non-binding resolution requesting that the cricket board dissolve awaiting a forensic assessment of its records.
Wickremesinghe has formed a committee to probe the suspension of the ICC.
The cash-strapped country defaulted on its $46 billion debt in April last year after running out of foreign exchange to purchase even the most basic imports, making life miserable for the island’s 22 million residents.
Months of social turmoil caused the departure of then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa last year, when demonstrators stormed his mansion.