6 October 2022 03:36 pm
General Secretary of the SLFP, former Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara alleged that a major fraud involving government politicians has taken in the procurement of crude oil for the CPC running into US$ 100 million (Rs. 36 billion approximately) from a single shipment recently.
Exposing this massive cheating of public money to the media at the party office, Mr. Jayasekara said the schemers of the theft have imported a shipment of crude oil through a company by the name of Coral Energy DMCC, who has never supplied fuel to the CPC or registered as a supplier of fuel to Sri Lanka.
“What has happened was that, this company has come into an agreement with the CPC to supply a shipment of 99,673 metric tons of Ural crude oil at the FOB (Free on Board) price of US$ 51.2 a barrel. But they have actually charged the CPC the price of Brent crude at US$ 82.09 in excess of more than US$ 100 million in a fraudulent manner. They have simply supplied a shipment of cheaper variety of crude oil to the CPC of different brand of crude oil that quoted a higher price,” Mr. Jayasekara stressed.
Mr. Jayasekara charged that the new company, the Coral Energy DMCC has come into the scene of supplying crude oil to the CPC after current Power and Energy Minister took office and added the Power and Energy Ministry has threatened the CPC officials to import crude oil via the Coral Energy DMCC and discard registered suppliers. Only the CPC can call tenders for procumbent of refined fuel or crude oil. The Power and Energy Ministry has no authority for that.
Responding to Daily Mirror, Mr. Jayaseka said the SLFP would complain to President Ranil Wickremesinghe and lodge a complaint with the Bribery Commission on this massive fraud involving the top politicians and officials of the Ministry of Power and Energy.
“This cheating of public money at a time when the country is in a deep crisis of foreign exchange shortage cannot be treated lightly. It is a crime against the country and people. Therefore, I request the government to conduct an independent probe and take appropriate action against those who committed this massive embezzlement,” Mr. Jayasekara said. (Sandun A Jayasekera)