Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe has stated that certain findings in the Auditor General’s report on the controversial coal importation cannot be accepted.
He made these remarks during the “360” programme aired on TV Derana , where he responded to questions regarding the report.
The Minister said that the Auditor General’s report does not confirm any fraud, but instead presents observations on possible scenarios.
He emphasized that the government’s position is that no fraud occurred in relation to the incident, and noted that both he and other ministers maintain this stance.
Minister Samarasinghe further stated that the government sees no shortcomings in the procurement process and believes all procedures were properly followed.
He also pointed out that if there had been any violations, the Auditor General’s report should have clearly identified specific breaches of procurement guidelines or conditions.
Referring to a letter from the Procurement Commission issued in August 2025, he said it confirms that the matter in question is not considered a fundamental error.
However, he added that while the Auditor General’s report should not be dismissed entirely, certain parts and statements within it are inaccurate and have raised concerns about how some details were presented.
