• JO says Minister, Secretary resignations futile 

The SJB has called for the audit report containing details related to the alleged substandard coal imports to be immediately forwarded to the Attorney General (AG) through Parliament.

The party’s Senior Vice President (SVP), former Parliamentarian and attorney Lakshman Kiriella made this call during a press conference in Colombo yesterday (19).

He also accused the Government of appointing various commissions in an attempt to delay action instead of addressing the matter directly.

“The Government has admitted that substandard coal was imported. The Auditor General has submitted a report confirming this. Financial authority lies with Parliament. When the Auditor General submits a report, it is first referred to the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE). The only step needed now is to forward the report to the AG through Parliament. Instead, the Government has appointed commissions to delay the process,” he said.

Kiriella further said that opposition parties had worked collectively on the issue without internal disagreements. “All opposition political parties worked together on the issue of coal procurement. There were no differences in opinion. If an election is announced, an opposition alliance will be formed. Leadership of that alliance will go to SJB and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa. This Government came to power with many promises, but none of those promises have been fulfilled,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Joint Opposition issued a statement regarding the resignation of Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody and Ministry Secretary Prof. Udayanga Hemapala, who stepped down in the wake of investigations into a coal procurement process.

In a statement, it stated that a Minister’s resignation is typically regarded as an acknowledgment of responsibility in relation to a specific issue.

However, it emphasised that a Minister’s resignation does not in any way influence the proceedings of a Presidential Commission of Inquiry, dismissing such justification as unfounded.

The statement further alleged that the company awarded the recent coal procurement contract had not been registered at the time the contract was granted.

It added that collective responsibility must be borne by the Government for the decision to award the contract under such circumstances.