The government will appoint a Special Presidential Commission comprising sitting Supreme Court judges to investigate coal procurement dating back to 2009, Leader of the House Bimal Rathnayake announced during the no-confidence motion debate on April 10.
The commission’s scope covers coal procurements across four successive administrations — Mahinda Rajapaksa, Maithripala Sirisena, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and the current NPP government — making it the most comprehensive probe into the sector to date.
The announcement came as the government successfully defeated the NCM against Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody by a 153-49 margin. By pledging a judicial investigation rather than a parliamentary one, the government signalled that accountability would be handled through the courts rather than political proceedings.
The commission builds on earlier findings from a COPE special audit that documented irregularities in coal imports, including the use of a laboratory whose licence had been cancelled for quality certification. A separate audit quantified efficiency losses at Rs. 2.24 billion. The FSP has also filed a court challenge against the emergency coal tender awarded to Trident/Taranjot Resources.
The composition of the commission — sitting Supreme Court judges rather than retired jurists or parliamentary appointees — gives it significant legal authority to compel testimony and access documents.
Sources: Newswire
