• Maxwell saga rumbles on

The report compiled by the Ethics Committee which recommended the immediate suspension of National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOCSL) Secretary General Maxwell de Silva has been rejected by majority vote by its Executive Committee, The Sunday Morning Sports learns.

Seven members of the NOCSL Executive Committee had maintained that the Ethics Committee’s report should be totally dismissed, while two of its members had voted in favour of the report, with one other member having abstained.

The majority of those who had voted to oppose the Ethics Committee report had insisted that the latter had at no stage provided a forum to the long-serving Secretary General to respond to the allegations levelled against him, according to informed sources.

The NOCSL Executive Committee had convened on Wednesday (4) for a crucial meeting during which it deliberated at length the report containing recommendations of the Ethics Committee. It was decided at the meeting that a vote would determine whether the Ethics Committee report should be adopted, which was ultimately rejected by majority vote. 

Most of those in the Executive Committee had been of the view that the report filed by the Ethics Committee had been dubious and done with vested interests and malicious intent.

Furthermore, the Executive Committee members insisted that the Sports Ministry’s probe report, with its 12 recommendations, did not mention that punitive action should be instituted against any official of the NOCSL.

The Executive Committee members were of the view that the recommendations had only suggested that the ongoing feud between NOCSL President Subramaniam and its Secretary General should be resolved amicably for the betterment of sports in the country.

Meanwhile, at least 16 of 33 member sports associations affiliated with the NOCSL have suggested to the latter that an election of office bearers has to be held at the earliest, if the ongoing power struggle between its President and Secretary General is to be settled once and for all.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has already warned the NOCSL that failure to act on its instructions, which is to implement the recommendations of the Ethics Committee, would invite severe repercussions to Sri Lanka’s sporting firmament.

De Silva, who has been serving in his post for the past 15 years, has continuously defied calls to resign amidst allegations of corruption. This is besides an ongoing court case against him, where two petitioners have sought an injunction to suspend him from the NOCSL.  

(JK)