- 153 against, 49 in favour
- Govt. announces PCoI
The No-Confidence Motion (NCM) against Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody, linked to the substandard coal import controversy, was defeated by a majority of 104 votes on Friday (10).
A total of 153 MPs voted against the motion, while 49 Opposition members voted in favour when the division was held on Friday evening following the debate.
The motion was spearheaded by the Opposition, led by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), and was formally handed over to the Speaker on 19 March.
The Opposition’s case against Minister Jayakody centred on two primary issues: alleged irregularities in coal procurement for the Lakvijaya Power Plant in Norochcholai and a criminal case filed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).
During the debate, the Government stated that a Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI), headed by a Supreme Court justice, would be appointed to investigate the entire coal procurement process since 2009. The announcement was made by Leader of the House Bimal Rathnayake.
The debate was opened in Parliament by SJB MP Ajith P. Perera, who cited alleged irregularities in coal procurement and charges filed against the Minister before the Colombo High Court.
Presenting the motion, Perera alleged that Jayakody had violated public trust and failed to fulfil his constitutional duties, particularly in ensuring the procurement of adequate and quality coal for the Lakvijaya Power Plant. He argued that this amounted to a serious neglect of responsibility in managing a critical national asset.
“The Auditor General’s report has confirmed that the coal is substandard, the tender procedure is flawed, and the selected methodology is wrong,” Perera charged.
He further claimed that despite the issue being raised in Parliament, the Minister had failed to respond adequately, pointing to what he described as “a lack of sensitivity and accountability”.
Highlighting the scale of losses, Perera told Parliament: “They said nine coal shipments arrived, all nine were substandard. The losses are estimated between Rs. 8.4 billion and Rs. 9 billion. At the time, they admitted there was a loss, but said there was no fraud. That position has now been contradicted by the Auditor General.”
The motion also refers to indictments filed before the Colombo High Court under the Bribery Act over alleged procurement-related corruption during Jayakody’s tenure at the Lanka Fertilizer Company. Perera maintained that these charges formed a key basis for seeking the Minister’s removal.
“A person facing corruption charges has no place in the Cabinet,” he said, referring to the High Court case (HC 481/2026).
He also questioned the suitability of the selected coal supplier, alleging that it had a “questionable track record” and had previously been blacklisted.
Citing findings by the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), Perera said the regulator had outlined “potential financial losses, environmental damage, and a clear failure of ministerial responsibility,” adding that the Minister had failed to challenge those findings.
He further revealed that the Chairman of the State-owned coal company had resigned citing irregularities in the tender process. “He clearly stated he could not bear future legal responsibility over this tender process,” Perera added.
Responding on behalf of the Government, Chief Government Whip Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said a fully empowered inquiry committee would be appointed to investigate all coal shipments imported to Sri Lanka to date, with legal action to follow based on its findings.
He noted that a total of 462 coal shipments had been imported so far and that the Government would examine any shortcomings in the procurement process, while also alleging that irregularities had taken place under previous administrations.
He stressed that coal procurement had been ongoing for over 15 years and had not been initiated by the present administration. “For years, there was no proper tender process. Contracts were awarded through Cabinet decisions midway through procurement processes,” he said.
Rejecting allegations of interference, he added: “If anyone claims that a company was brought in through ministerial influence, I challenge them to prove it.”
Addressing concerns over coal quality, Jayatissa said: “There is a clear issue when the load port report shows higher calorific value, while the discharge report shows lower. We are investigating this.”
“We have taken steps to impose fines amounting to $ 17 million due to deviations in specifications. We will recover the losses,” he added.
He assured that the financial burden would not be passed on to the public, adding that uninterrupted electricity supply would be maintained.
Sarvajana Balaya MP Dilith Jayaweera described the transaction as the “largest fraud in the long history of Sri Lanka,” citing the Auditor General’s findings.
He said the motion was intended to expose what he called the Government’s “cloak of anti-corruption” and urged the CIABOC and the Attorney General to take immediate legal action against those responsible.
Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya rejected the Opposition’s claims, asserting that the Government was more committed to uncovering wrongdoing than its critics.
“If corruption is proven, we will not hesitate to act,” she said, adding that the Government was duty-bound to reform what she described as a “corrupt system” inherited from previous administrations.
The Prime Minister noted that investigations were already underway through the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) and the audit process, with action to follow based on their findings.
Meanwhile, SJB MP and Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chairman Dr. Harsha de Silva said financial losses from inferior coal shipments had significantly contributed to the proposed electricity tariff increase.
He revealed that the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) had incurred a loss of Rs. 19 billion due to reduced coal power generation.
Expected generation of 1,381 GWh had dropped to approximately 1,131.59 GWh, creating a shortfall of 250 GWh. To compensate, the CEB had turned to diesel power, which costs around Rs. 95 per unit compared to Rs. 20 per unit for coal.
Dr. de Silva said the Rs. 19 billion loss accounted for 57% of the CEB’s proposed Rs. 33 billion tariff increase.
He added that even the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had acknowledged the impact of coal import issues on CEB finances, noting that cost recovery was a key condition for releasing a $ 700 million instalment.
Minister Jayakody, addressing Parliament, rejected all allegations and defended the Government’s record. “If it can be proven that we have stolen even a single rupee of public funds, we are prepared to give up not just our positions, but anything requested,” he said.
He insisted that reforms had already been introduced to halt irregular procurement practices, including spot tenders.
He described the allegations against him as politically motivated retaliation by those whose interests had been affected by recent reforms. “They are trying to weaken the NPP by targeting individual ministers, but we are a movement that cannot be shaken by these false noises,” he said.
Outside Parliament, protests demanding the Minister’s resignation were held near Polduwa Junction in the morning, causing heavy traffic congestion as demonstrators blocked access roads.
Opposition MPs, including Sajith Premadasa, Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Harsha de Silva, and Mujibur Rahman, were present at the protest.
Demonstrators alleged that the substandard coal issue had resulted in billions of rupees in losses and called for immediate action against those responsible.