The Presidential Commission investigating coal procurement has played the leaked audio recording that fuelled months of political controversy, hearing testimony from Lanka Coal Company Chairman Jayantha Rathnayake on what the conversation actually concerned.
The recording of a group telephone call had been submitted to the Commission by Member of Parliament Mujibur Rahman. It was played during Wednesday’s sitting, and Rathnayake was given the opportunity to listen to it before responding.
Rathnayake told the Commission the conversation had taken place between Lanka Coal Company General Manager Namal Hewage and the general manager of the local representative company of a coal supplier.
According to his account, the discussion centred on obtaining a performance bond from Taranjot in line with the terms of the relevant agreement — specifically, the process of converting that bond into cash within the seven-day window the contract allowed.
Rathnayake said the local representative’s general manager had not fully grasped the significance of the seven-day deadline, raising the possibility that the performance bond could be forfeited. Advice was therefore given during the call to ensure the matter was handled carefully, he told the Commission.
He maintained that the exchange involved no attempt to plan any irregularity or fraudulent activity.
Rathnayake also told the Commission he did not know who had recorded the conversation or who had subsequently released it on social media.
The recording first circulated online in April, when Rathnayake publicly rejected the clip as “distorted and spread misleadingly”. Wednesday’s session marks the first time he has been questioned on it under oath before the Commission, which has been examining allegations of pressure to alter coal test reports as part of a wider inquiry into procurement practices.
