Sumathipala was charged with taking an alleged underworld leader named Dhammika Amarasinghe to England on forged travel documents to watch the 1999 Cricket World Cup.

The 42-year-old businessman was also fined 50,000 rupees (450 dollars) by Colombo additional magistrate Ajith Anavaratne who read out the sentence in the case which began in 2003.

Lawyers for Sumathipala, the former chairman of Sri Lanka's board of control for cricket, said he would appeal the sentence. He was granted bail on a cash bond of 10,000 rupees (100 dollars).