Sri Lanka’s Energy Minister resigns amid corruption allegations, sub-standard coal imports

Energy Minister steps down following corruption charges linked to inferior coal imports, testing the government's anti-graft pledge. | Contesto: cronaca

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• Sri Lanka’s Energy Minister resigns amid corruption allegations, sub-standard coal imports

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Sri Lanka's Energy Minister, Kanchana Wijesekera, resigned from his cabinet position on Tuesday, bowing to mounting political pressure following his indictment by the country's anti-corruption commission. The charges, filed in the Colombo High Court, allege the minister's involvement in authorizing the importation of sub-standard coal for the state-run Lakvijaya power plant in Norochcholai, causing significant financial loss to the nation. The resignation marks the first major scandal to hit the administration of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who came to power just months ago on a vehement anti-corruption platform. The indictment has ignited a firestorm of criticism from opposition parties and civil society groups, who have been quick to hold the government to its own rhetoric. During the recent election campaign, President Dissanayake and his ruling National People's Power (NPP) coalition repeatedly vowed to eradicate the systemic corruption that has long plagued Sri Lankan politics and state enterprises. The swift legal action against a sitting minister, while demonstrating a willingness to pursue high-profile cases, has also created an immediate and embarrassing test of those promises so early in the government's term. The case centers on a 2022 transaction, authorized under the previous government, for a shipment of coal allegedly failing to meet the required quality specifications. The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption asserts that the inferior coal damaged power plant machinery and reduced generation efficiency, resulting in substantial losses for the Ceylon Electricity Board. While Minister Wijesekera was not in office at the time of the initial deal, prosecutors allege he played a key role in subsequent decisions that prevented the state from seeking financial redress from the supplier. This scandal touches a raw nerve for a population still recovering from a severe economic crisis, partly fueled by energy shortages and mismanagement. The Lakvijaya coal plant is critical to Sri Lanka's energy security, providing a large portion of the island's baseload power. Allegations that corruption directly compromised the plant's...

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Categoria: cronaca