• Claims Prez CoI to base probe on all available reports including Auditor Gen.’s
• SJB notes that Parliament as public financial authority should send report to AG
• Kiriella claims Commissions are a Governmental delay tactic   

In the wake of calls by the Opposition to forward the special audit report on the alleged substandard coal imports to the Attorney General (AG), the Parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) Chairperson Dr. Nishantha Samaraweera said that such a step is unnecessary, as a Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) is already conducting an investigation into the matter.

When contacted by The Daily Morning yesterday (20), he said there is no need to refer the report to the AG’s Department, noting that a fully-fledged Presidential CoI had already been appointed to examine the issue in detail. "The Presidential CoI is carrying out its investigation based on all the available reports including the audit report related to the matter. Therefore, there is no requirement to take additional steps to send the audit findings separately to the AG."

His remarks came after the main Opposition, the SJB called for the audit report containing details related to the controversial coal imports to be immediately forwarded to the AG through Parliament. Addressing a press conference in Colombo on 19 April, SJB Senior Vice President, attorney Lakshman Kiriella said that once the Auditor General submits a report, it is referred to the COPE, and that the next step should be to forward it to the AG through Parliament. 

He alleged that instead of taking direct action, the Government is appointing various commissions in a bid to delay the process. He also claimed that the Government had acknowledged that substandard coal had been imported and that the Auditor General had submitted a report confirming this. He added that financial authority lies with Parliament, and that therefore, the said report should be acted upon without delay.

The special audit report, requested by the COPE, examined the coal procurement process carried out by the Lanka Coal Company for the Lakvijaya Power Plant in Norochcholai and the procurement arrangements for the last year (2025) / 2026 season. It was presented to Parliament on 7 April, with House Leader Bimal Rathnayake tabling the report at the start of the proceedings.