A contract to procure coal was signed with Trident Chemphar Limited without obtaining prior approval from the Attorney General, according to a report by the Auditor General investigating the alleged fraud.
The report, presented to Parliament, stated that the agreement had been signed on November 19, 2025, even though approval from the Attorney General was scheduled for November 20, 2025. It also revealed that Trident Chemphar Limited was not registered at the time it entered into the agreement with the Sri Lankan government.
The Auditor General further disclosed that losses caused by inferior-quality coal amounted to approximately Rs 2.2 billion. These losses were incurred across multiple shipments, with significant financial impact reported for each delivery.
The report noted that the total loss could potentially be recovered by seeking compensation from the supplier. It also recommended introducing proper procedures to assess the capability of coal suppliers, establishing clear registration criteria, and implementing an independent system to verify coal quality.
Additionally, the Auditor General advised that the control unit of the Norochcholai Power Plant should adopt such a verification system to prevent similar issues in the future.
