Matale High Court has sentenced Indian national Yogi Patel, the owner of the Kandy Samp Army team, to four years of rigorous imprisonment for allegedly abetting Sri Lankan cricketer Upul Tharanga in match-fixing during the 2024 Legends League tournament at Pallekele Stadium.
In addition to the prison term, the court imposed a fine of Rs. 85 million on Patel. Furthermore, the plaintiff in the case, Upul Tharanga, has been ordered to pay Rs. 2 million in compensation.
Patel has reportedly fled the country to evade the court proceedings, and the trial was conducted in his absence. Consequently, the court has issued a warrant for his arrest.
Delivering the verdict, the High Court judge emphasized that the prosecution had proven the charges beyond a reasonable doubt. Accordingly, the judge ruled in favor of the sentence.
The Attorney General had filed an indictment against Yogi Patel under the Prevention of Corruption Act, accusing him of attempting to manipulate a match by persuading Upul Tharanga to engage in match-fixing during the 2024 Legends League Cricket Tournament in Kandy.
