Secretary to the President Nandika Sanath Kumanayake filed a formal complaint with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Saturday morning, requesting a comprehensive investigation into all coal import transactions since 2009.
The complaint is based on findings by the Auditor General that revealed serious irregularities in coal procurement, as well as multiple issues raised in parliamentary committee discussions. It effectively converts the political debate over coal quality into a criminal investigation.
465 shipments under scrutiny
Leader of the House Bimal Rathnayake told Parliament on April 10 that 465 coal shipments have been imported to Sri Lanka since 2009. Of those, 452 were procured under previous administrations, with only 13 imported during the current NPP government’s tenure — a point the government has used to deflect criticism ahead of the no-confidence motion against Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody, which was defeated 153-49.
The CID complaint follows the government’s announcement of a Special Presidential Commission headed by a sitting Supreme Court judge to investigate coal procurement across all four administrations since 2009.
The twin-track approach — criminal investigation via the CID alongside a judicial commission — marks the most aggressive accountability action on the coal sector to date. Previous scrutiny was limited to parliamentary audits, including a COPE special audit that documented quality certification irregularities and a separate efficiency audit that quantified losses at Rs. 2.24 billion.
The probe’s scope covers procurements that have been at the centre of a political firestorm this week, with the opposition demanding the Energy Minister’s resignation and multiple MPs alleging systematic coal procurement failures.
Sources: Ada Derana, NewsFirst, Newswire
