Presidential Commission appointed to probe coal procurement and power generation irregularities

Colombo, April 17 (Daily Mirror) - President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed a fully fledged Presidential Commission of Inquiry to investigate alleged irregularities and illegal activities related to coal imports and electricity generation in Sri Lanka from the inception of coal-based power generation up to 16 April 2026.

The Commission has been established under Section 2 of the Special Presidential Commissions of Inquiry Act, No. 07 of 1978, as amended.

The three-member Commission will be headed by Supreme Court Justice Gihan Kulatunga. Court of Appeal Judge Aditya Patabendige and High Court Judge Sanjeewa Somaratne have been appointed as members. Former State Ministry Secretary P.V. Bandulasena will serve as Secretary to the Commission.

The inquiry will examine whether irregularities occurred in the procurement of coal imports, including possible financial losses to the government, the import of substandard coal, and issues in quality inspection, supply, operational processes, and utilization in power generation.

It will also assess whether expected electricity generation targets were met, whether contractual breaches occurred, and whether appropriate remedial actions such as payment suspensions were taken.

Further, the Commission will identify responsible political authorities, officials of Sri Lanka Coal Private Limited and suppliers involved, and recommend legal or administrative action. It will also propose measures to prevent future irregularities in coal procurement and power generation processes.

The Commission has been mandated to report on any other related irregularities and recommend corrective steps.