Former Committee of Public Enterprises (COPE) chairman Charitha Herath has publicly challenged the decision by Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake to lodge a CID complaint over coal procurement irregularities, arguing the intervention bypasses the legislature’s oversight role.
Legislature vs executive
Herath said it was COPE, not the Presidential Secretary, that should have referred the coal matter to the CID. He pointed out that the Energy Ministry Secretary serves as Chief Accounting Officer for the ministry’s expenditure and is the proper authority to initiate such investigations. The entire process, Herath argued, should be “led by the legislature, not the executive.”
Dr. Kumanayake’s April 11 CID complaint led to the sealing of the Lanka Coal Company office and has since become the primary investigative track. During the April 10 no-confidence motion debate, Housing Minister Bimal Rathnayake also announced a Special Presidential Commission of Inquiry to investigate all approximately 465 coal shipments since 2009.
Governance concern
Herath outlined the proper COPE procedure: directing the Energy Secretary to investigate within seven days, compelling testimony, and presenting findings to Parliament. Instead, the executive branch’s direct intervention raises questions about whether the investigation timeline is being politically managed.
The National Audit Office report that triggered the probe exposed serious irregularities in 2025–26 coal procurement, including contracts awarded to improperly registered suppliers. The National System Operator has cited low-grade coal as a primary reason for requesting a 53% additional electricity tariff increase.
