Hon. Ajith P. Perera

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, today’s proposal is very important. The Opposition fully supports it. I am pleased as one who led the foundational process behind Act No. 9 of 2023. In the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Parliamentary Ethics and Media, then chaired by me, Justice Yasanta Kodagoda suggested unifying all anti-corruption regimes under one law. We worked long to draft it, and enacted it in 2023.

¶ 02 Independent institutions that investigate corruption and crime — the Attorney General’s Department and CIABOC — must be strengthened with adequate pay and resources. We earlier increased AG’s cadre from 118 to 218 and raised remuneration to the top tier of Government.

¶ 03 However, today’s national issue is an energy crisis. Some matters are beyond our control, but some are within. A major problem is the 2025–2026 coal procurement for the Norochcholai Lakvijaya Plant, which supplies roughly one-third of our power. There have been irregularities, corruption, and administrative incompetence. The first nine vessels have already caused losses estimated at Rs. 8.497 billion. The PUCSL has officially informed Parliament that by 19 April — the scheduled start of the coal season — the required number of vessels will not have arrived. Quantities delivered are low-quality; vessels are delayed. If monitored in early January, we could have determined whether Trident Chemphar Ltd. — the Indian company awarded the tender with a low price — had the capacity. From the outset there were delays, and inferior coal in the first vessel. The tender should have been canceled then and offers negotiated with the second and third ranked bidders. That was not done.

¶ 04 Consequently, on 14th we got 165 MW less than the 300 MW expected; on 15th, 132 MW less; yesterday, 148 MW less. Every MW not produced from coal must be produced by diesel. Coal power costs about Rs. 20 per unit; diesel generation before the war cost around Rs. 65 per unit and is now even higher. Coal quality is declining; output is falling. This is within the Government’s control.

¶ 05 After finding Trident Chemphar failed to supply as contracted, you called an emergency tender for 300,000 MT. The same Trident Chemphar won that emergency tender. How can a company failing targets win the emergency tender? This has nothing to do with the war or Hormuz. Our coal comes from South Africa, Australia, Russia, Indonesia — unrelated to current Middle East tensions.

¶ 06 Worse, the CIABOC Director General has faced pressure when preparing indictments against the Energy Minister. First a decision to indict was taken months ago; pressure delayed it. Now, indictments have been filed in Colombo High Court Case No. 481/2026 under Section 70 of the CIABOC Act for corruption. Under anti-corruption law, when a public officer is indicted in bribery/corruption, he is mandatorily interdicted. Yet the present Minister, appointed despite ongoing inquiries, continues in office. Previously, when charges were filed against ministers, many in Government — including then-Opposition leaders — demanded resignations. Will you now apply the same standard?

¶ 07 Furthermore, during the coal tender process, the Minister traveled to Russia at State expense and met representatives of Potencia LLC — a bidder — and the Chair of the State Oil Company, while the tender was still pending. The Ministry Secretary confirmed this before the Sectoral Oversight Committee. This is improper.

¶ 08 There is more: the Auditor General, pursuant to a COPE request, reports that Trident Chemphar Limited, in previous rice supplies to Sri Lanka, failed to comply with the Procurement Guidelines. The same company had been blacklisted over that rice procurement episode. Yet it was awarded the coal tender and even the emergency tender.

¶ 09 Hon. Deputy Speaker, this must be addressed decisively.