MP D.V. Chanaka, addressing Parliament, raised serious concerns regarding an alleged large-scale fraud in the awarding of tenders for the import of coal to Sri Lanka.
According to the MP, the tender process had been conducted in violation of international procurement guidelines. While international tenders are normally open for six weeks, he pointed out that this period was reduced to five weeks and later to three weeks for the coal tender in question.
Time Reduction Process
MP Chanaka highlighted that Cabinet Paper No. 78/2025P had first reduced the tender period to five weeks. Subsequently, the National Procurement Commission further reduced the five-week period to three weeks, citing a possible coal shortage in the country.
He further alleged that despite the shortened bidding window, the tender process itself was delayed by one and a half months. Moreover, he claimed that a company accused of being “corrupt” and “fraudulent” during the previous government was once again awarded a new six-month contract.
Chanaka described the closure of an international tender within just three weeks as “highly unusual,” suggesting that it was a mechanism designed to benefit a party aligned with vested interests.
He also revealed that tenders of this nature typically require a performance bond ranging from US$15 million to US$30 million, and questioned the integrity of the awarding process.
In addition, MP Chanaka disclosed that a chairman had tendered his resignation, refusing to sign off on the coal tender.
Parliamentary Exchange
Responding to Chanaka’s statement, MP Ajith Perera stressed that the issue amounted to a corruption scandal exceeding one billion dollars. He questioned whether Chanaka was making his claims responsibly and demanded to know if there was concrete evidence to support such allegations. He also challenged whether a minister who claims to oppose corruption would permit such actions.
In reply, MP D.V. Chanaka insisted that the government is already taking the necessary steps to address the alleged fraud. He subsequently tabled the gazette notification which had received approval for the coal transaction.
