The Special Presidential Commission investigating coal procurement transactions held its third day of public hearings on Monday (July 13), summoning three officials — including Lakvijaya Coal Power Plant Deputy General Manager Thushan Abeykoon — to give evidence.
Abeykoon had also been called before the commission the previous Wednesday. In earlier sittings, the commission recorded evidence from officials including Deputy Solicitor General Ganga Wakishta Arachchi, Deputy Solicitor General Angelo Van Hout, Secretary to the Ministry of Energy G.M.R.D. Aponsu, an additional secretary to the ministry, and Registrar of Companies Shyama Harshani. The panel is working through affidavits the officials had submitted during the investigation.
Commission Secretary D.V. Bandulasena said the hearings are scheduled to continue over the coming weeks.
The commission was appointed by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to conduct a comprehensive investigation into coal procurement transactions carried out since 2009, including alleged fraud, corruption and irregularities in the procurement process. The Lakvijaya plant at Norochcholai is Sri Lanka’s only coal-fired power station and a major contributor to the national grid.
The public hearings follow months of preparatory work by the presidential commission, which was gazetted earlier this year and has recorded statements from dozens of officials. Commission members also inspected the Norochcholai plant in June as part of the probe.
