It is reported that a consignment of diesel worth over Rs. 16.6 million, intended for the Norochcholai Lakvijaya Coal Power Plant, was diverted to a different location instead of being delivered to the plant. The Puttalam Police Special Crimes Investigation Unit has reportedly launched a comprehensive investigation into this large-scale diesel fraud.
The investigation was initiated following a complaint lodged by ‘Electricity Generation Lanka (Private) Limited,’ a subsidiary of the Ceylon Electricity Board.
This racket came to light during an inspection conducted by the power plant’s internal audit team.
According to the complaint, the audit team discovered that three consignments of diesel—comprising two bowsers in December 2025 and one additional bowser in January 2026—had not been delivered to the power plant. The total value of this diesel stock has been estimated at Rs. 16.6 million. However, it has been revealed that the power plant’s storekeeper made false entries in the records, claiming that the relevant diesel stocks had been received. Yet, an examination of security logs at the power plant’s two main gates confirmed that the diesel bowsers in question had not entered the premises on those dates.
It has also been reported that the Lakvijaya Power Plant had already made full payment of Rs. 16.6 million to the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation for these three missing diesel consignments.
Steps have been taken to interdict the power plant’s storekeeper in connection with the incident, and investigators are reportedly focusing their attention on the bowser crew as well. The police suspect that this racket may have been ongoing for a long period.
It is reported that this diesel fraud, along with several other irregularities, has come to light during the investigation conducted by the Presidential Committee—appointed by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake—into alleged irregularities regarding coal imports for the Lakvijaya Power Station under both current and previous governments.