Patali Questions ‘Double Standards’ as Coal Scam Ends in Fines While Ex-Ministers Get 20-Years RI

Former Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka has questioned why, in the backdrop of former Ministers Mahindananda Aluthgamage and Nalin Fernando being sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment on charges of causing a loss to the Government in an import transaction, the law is not similarly enforced in the case of the alleged fraud that has caused billions of rupees in losses to the State through the importation of substandard coal under the present Government, and why it is being concluded merely by imposing fines.  

Speaking at a special media briefing held in Colombo recently, he stressed that it would be a serious issue if the enormous loss amounting to billions of rupees caused to the Government through the importation of substandard coal were to be limited merely to the recovery of fines. He pointed out that the case involving former Minister Arjuna Ranatunga was of a similar nature, and therefore called for a comprehensive investigation into the coal fraud and for the law to be enforced immediately against all responsible parties. 

He further stated that it has been confirmed that enormous undue profits had been generated through this questionable coal transaction under the National People’s Power Government, and that an immediate inquiry should be conducted to determine into whose pockets this money had gone. He emphasised that it is impossible to recover the billions of rupees of public funds lost due to the importation of inferior, substandard coal merely through the imposition of fines.Citing official reports issued by the Ceylon Electricity Board, he noted that the loss incurred from just eight shipments of coal supplied by the company amounts to Rs. 7.6 billion, and warned that continuing with this tender would further aggravate the country’s losses.Explaining how this fraud directly affects electricity consumers, the former Minister revealed that the proposed 13.5% electricity tariff increase, scheduled to be implemented by the Ceylon Electricity Board from 1 April in order to recover an alleged loss of Rs. 15 billion, is in fact linked to this coal scam.He alleged that although the actual cost of a kilogramme of coal is Rs. 30, the Board has calculated it at Rs. 39.43, and that the additional Rs. 9 represents an attempt to recover from the public a portion of the losses caused to the Government by the coal fraud.He also disclosed that the company awarded the tender is a disreputable firm that has been penalised in India in connection with money laundering, and stressed that the Central Environmental Authority should immediately conduct a separate investigation into the environmental damage caused by the high ash content emitted due to the use of inferior coal.