Officers from the Criminal Investigation Department sealed the main office of Lanka Coal Company (Pvt) Ltd on Saturday evening, hours after formally launching a probe into coal imports dating back to 2009.
The investigation was triggered by a complaint filed earlier in the day by Secretary to the President Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, based on Auditor General findings and parliamentary committee reports documenting irregularities in coal procurement.
From protection to sealing
Lanka Coal Company had confirmed that special police protection was deployed to its office on Saturday afternoon after the investigation commenced. By evening, CID officers escalated from protection to formally sealing the premises — a move that suggests investigators are securing physical records and evidence ahead of a full forensic examination.
The sealing represents the most aggressive enforcement action in the coal accountability saga that has dominated Sri Lankan politics this week. The probe covers 465 coal shipments since 2009, of which 452 were imported under previous administrations.
Parallel accountability tracks
The CID investigation runs alongside a Special Presidential Commission headed by a sitting Supreme Court judge, announced during the parliamentary session in which the no-confidence motion against Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody was defeated 153-49.
A COPE special audit and separate efficiency audit had previously documented quality certification irregularities and losses of Rs. 2.24 billion from substandard coal imports.
Sources: Newswire, Ada Derana
