Trade, Commerce and Food Security Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe has stated that certain findings in the National Audit Office (NAO) report on the controversial coal importation cannot be accepted — the NPP government’s first public pushback on the audit that the opposition has used to allege procurement irregularities.
Speaking on TV Derana’s “360” programme on Sunday night (20), Samarasinghe said the Auditor General’s report does not indicate that any fraud had taken place but rather presents “observations on possible scenarios.”
“There are issues with the way certain reports have been compiled and how specific details have been included,” the minister said. “However, I am not saying that the Auditor General’s report is entirely wrong, but some parts and statements within it are inaccurate.”
Samarasinghe emphasised that the government’s position remains that no fraud occurred in the coal procurement, adding that he and other ministers maintain this stance. He questioned the political wisdom of the opposition’s planned no-confidence motion, noting that the government is confident of securing a parliamentary majority.
The minister argued that had there been genuine shortcomings in procurement, the Auditor General’s report should have clearly identified specific violations of procurement guidelines or conditions — including any failure to register under the Procurement Commission at the relevant time.
He also pointed to a Procurement Commission letter issued in August 2025 which, in its fourth paragraph, stated that the matter in question was not considered a “fundamental error.”
The remarks come as the NAO report has been cited by the opposition SJB and the Joint Opposition to back allegations that Trident Champhar received the 2025/26 contract before completing registration under the Procurement Commission. The coal procurement scandal has already driven the resignation of former Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody and his Ministry Secretary.
