No-confidence motion against Kumara Jayakody undermines NPP’s non-corruption sanctity

The No-confidence Motion (NCM) submitted by the Opposition against Power and Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody, alleging massive corruption and irregularities in the procurement of substandard coal, is scheduled to be taken up in the Parliament on 10 April. The motion claims Jayakody had failed to discharge his primary duty to ensure the procurement of sufficient and quality coal for Lakvijaya Coal Power Plant in Norochcholai, and that such gross negligence in overseeing a critical national energy asset constitutes a fundamental breach of responsibility of a cabinet minister.

Meanwhile, the CEB had informed a Parliamentary Sectoral Oversight Committee that the procurement of inferior-quality coal for power generation had resulted in estimated direct losses amounting to Rs. 7.7 billion. Internal documents from Lakvijaya coal power plant had indicated that samples from the first three consecutive shipments of the contentious South African coal failed quality tests. As a result, each coal shipment had demonstrated Gross Calorific Values (GVC), which represent the heat released upon combustion, that were well below the levels required to generate optimum electricity from the plant’s three units.

The Public Utilities Commission had warned of potential power cuts due to low-quality coal imports. It has been determined that Inferior coal has caused capacity reductions of up to 150 MW at the sole coal power plant in the country. Increased demand for electricity during the dry season as well as the reduction in hydro power generation has set the foundation for a highly damaging energy crisis. The uncertainty surrounding sourcing adequate fuel because of the turbulence in the Middle East has aggravated the matters further.

Opposition lawmakers had pointed out that Jayakody has been formally charged before the Colombo High Court by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption for committing an act of corruption while serving as Procurement Manager of Ceylon Fertiliser Company Ltd. Consequently, the Colombo High Court had issued notice to the Minister to appear in court on 27 March, when the indictments in the corruption trial are to be served. The NPP National List MP has been indicted for committing the offence of corruption by causing a loss of more than Rs 8.8 million to the State through his alleged actions of allowing a contracted private company to make undue financial profits while he was serving as the Procurement Manager of the Lanka Fertiliser Company. Jayakody is accused of releasing the funds as an advance to the contracted company in violation of procurement regulations.

Jayakody is a close associate of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and it is reported that the former had secured employment at Ceylon Fertiliser Company when the latter was Minister of Agriculture during the final years of Chandrika Kumaratunge presidency. Appointing an individual, who had to leave his previous employment over alleged financial impropriety, to head a highly critical ministry represents a serious misjudgement on the part of the Government.

One of the prime reasons why the NPP was preferred ahead of others was their perceived financial honesty. The NPP too portrayed themselves as the cleanest in the country while everybody else was depicted as corrupt and blemished. A cabinet minister even went to the extent of claiming that their parliamentary group was composed of 159 Kadirgamar to illustrate the JVP-led coalition’s so-called sanctimonious and holier-than-thou attributes.

Nevertheless, the truth is far from such characterisations. As soon as the administration was formed, Ashoka Ranwala had to shamefully resign from the post of Speaker as it was proved that Gampaha District MP’s claim of obtaining a PhD from a university in Japan was blatantly false. The fiasco tainted the reputation of the Government and critics openly questioned the Government’s commitment for system change.

Using corruption as a slogan to establish political dominance over rivals is not what the country requires. Fighting corruption in South Asian countries is no easy task, and it requires effort from all sections of the country.