- Consumers’ Association flags conflict of interest
The Electricity Consumers' Association (ECA) stated yesterday (25) the appointment of an expert committee to look into the substandard coal supply issue is a futile exercise and maintained that any investigation should begin only after suspending the Energy Minister and the Energy Ministry Secretary.
Speaking to The Daily Morning, the ECA General Secretary, Sanjeewa Dhammika said the committee was appointed by the Ministry Secretary and Acting Ceylon Electricity Board Chairperson, Prof. Udayanga Hemapala, who he claimed is directly responsible for the issue.
"Prof. Hemapala, who endorsed the related tender process, has now appointed the committee. How can an inquiry remain independent under such circumstances? The inclusion of an Additional Secretary of the same Ministry in the committee is also problematic. Will an official still serving within the Ministry hierarchy ever act against the Ministry Secretary?"
He said the structure of the committee allows room for influence from the Ministry, and alleged that the mechanism appears designed to conceal facts instead of ensuring accountability. "There is no representation from the Auditor General's (AG) Department and the Environment Ministry in this committee. They should have been included if a credible and genuine inquiry was intended."
Speaking further, Dhammika insisted that both the Minister and the Ministry Secretary should first be suspended before any investigative mechanism is established, adding that a committee examining a matter of national financial importance should be appointed by the Parliament.
The Daily Morning's attempts to contact the Deputy Energy Minister Akram Ilyas, Prof. Hemapala, and AG Samudika Jayarathne proved futile.
The criticism follows an announcement by the Ministry that a seven-member committee had been appointed to review the existing coal supply mechanism to the Norochcholai Lakvijaya Coal Power Plant. The committee is chaired by Prof. W.D.A.S. Rodrigo of the Moratuwa University and includes several academics from the Moratuwa University as well and the Sri Jayewardenepura University, with Additional Secretary (Power and Power Reform) K.L.R.C. Wijayasinghe as the Convenor.