Allegations surrounding the importation of substandard coal intensified yesterday, with civil society representatives and Opposition MPs lodging complaints with the CID and the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, calling for comprehensive investigations into the procurement process and alleged financial losses to the State.

A group of civil organisation representatives submitted a complaint to the CID on Friday (27 February), requesting a probe into what they described as irregularities in the coal procurement process and the resulting loss to the country.

Addressing the media, Ananda Palitha, Convenor of the Samagi Joint Trade Union Alliance affiliated with the SJB, alleged that tender procedures had not been followed properly and claimed that emergency purchases had facilitated corruption.

“The tenders are not called on time. The same company that was previously blacklisted after attempting to bring in substandard rice is now

being awarded the coal tender. They have been given time until July to get registered. The corruption is already confirmed. It is very clear with these emergency purchases,” he charged.

Palitha also expressed confidence that the current President would not interfere with investigations into the coal imports, drawing a comparison to the legal action instituted against former Minister Keheliya Rambukwella over the substandard medicine import controversy during the previous administration.

Meanwhile, a group of SJB parliamentarians filed a separate complaint with the Bribery Commission on Thursday (26 February) over the same issue. MPs Mujibur Rahman, Chaminda Wijesiri, Sujith Sanjaya Perera and Kavinda Jayawardena met Commission officials to formally submit their complaint.

Speaking to the media afterwards, MP Mujibur Rahman alleged that the company concerned had violated two key contractual conditions — by supplying substandard coal and by failing to deliver shipments within the stipulated timeframe.

He contended that either of these violations would be sufficient grounds to cancel the agreement, but claimed the Government was attempting to justify the transaction by asserting that no fraud had occurred.

“By now it has been revealed that this transaction is corrupt,” he said, adding that the Bribery Commission, which had previously conducted extensive investigations into allegations against the former Government, should similarly take action to recover what he claimed was Rs. 7,000 million in public funds lost due to the deal.Investigations into the matter are ongoing.