A formal investigation into the import of substandard coal should be conducted under the leadership of the President and that he has no confidence in the investigations being conducted by the Ministry of Energy under the leadership of the Minister of Electricity and Power, said Pubudu Jayagoda, Education Secretary of the Frontline Socialist Party.
He points out that although the tender for the import of coal should have been given in April last year and the tender should have been completed by July, it is questionable that the government had called this tender on August 15 last year.
He further commented, saying:
”There are several main reasons for us to have serious doubts here, one is that this tender was called and completed in about three weeks. Normally, it takes six weeks. The minister said that this was completed quickly because it was urgent. But even though it was urgent, it took until November to give this tender. There is a serious problem here. He said that the first ship would arrive on December 15. It arrived at the end of December. We think that this incident will be so late that it will be given to the same company that brought the inferior coal. This company was registered when the tender was delayed. We need thirty-seven ships, but so far only five have arrived.
When we revealed these things, the minister threatened us. Without saying that, he said not to talk about this. This minister and his officials hid the fact that the inspection reports of the ships that came saying that the coal was inferior were coming out. “We are demanding that if there is no formal investigation into this matter, there will be a major energy crisis in this country,” he said while speaking at an electronic media discussion.