Power and Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody resigned with immediate effect on April 17, submitting his letter to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Ministry Secretary Professor Udayanga Hemapala tendered his resignation the same day.
Jayakody said he was stepping down so that ongoing investigations into coal procurement irregularities could proceed “independently and without any potential influence.” He stressed that he is “prepared to accept any findings that emerge from the inquiry.”
The minister’s letter referenced the appointment of a Special Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCOI) chaired by Supreme Court Justice Gihan Kulatunga, as well as CID involvement in examining coal imports stretching back to 2009.
Professor Hemapala echoed similar reasoning, stating his departure was necessary to “avoid obstructing the forthcoming investigations and to guarantee their credibility.”
The Presidential Media Division confirmed receipt of both resignation letters.
Jayakody had survived a no-confidence motion in Parliament just one week earlier with a decisive 153–49 margin, backed by the NPP’s comfortable majority. However, the escalating coal scandal — which has drawn in the CID, triggered a presidential commission, and prompted consumer groups to demand prosecution — appears to have made his position untenable.
He is the first NPP minister to resign amid a scandal since the party took power. In his letter, Jayakody expressed gratitude for the parliamentary support he received during the NCM and reaffirmed his commitment to the government’s anti-corruption agenda.
