The Lanka Coal company was sealed yesterday following a complaint filed by the President’s Secretary to the Criminal Investigation Department seeking an investigation into all coal purchases made since the day it was established.
Meanwhile, since yesterday afternoon, an audio recording of telephone conversations regarding the coal tender process has been circulating on social media, and the Chairman of the Lanka Coal Company, Jayantha Ratnayake, stated in a statement issued today that the audio recording is completely distorted.
The announcement was issued on the company’s letterhead today (13), and Uvindu Kurukulasuriya, a journalist based in the United Kingdom, has questioned on his social media account how the Chairman of a company that was sealed yesterday can issue an announcement today in the respective compamy letter head ..
In the statement issued by Chairman Jayantha Ratnayake, he says that there was no financial irregularity or violation of the tender procedure in these transactions. He says in the statement that the emergency coal supply and related procurement activities have been carried out in the proper manner.
The audio recording circulating on social media includes the following conversation.
“I promise now that I will bring the hard copy with today’s date… I am saving who I know, the President, Mr. Dhammika, Mr. Mohan. You are a sinner. You also have a duty, my "raththarn malli", don’t do that. I am saying that by tomorrow morning at nine fifty-five, I should have the hard copy with today’s date.”
Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP Mujibur Rahman, who filed a complaint with the Criminal Investigation Department in this regard today, told the media that the procurement process for this transaction is suspicious, and since the names of the President and businessmen close to him are even mentioned in this audio recording, this should be considered a very serious situation.