A board member of Lanka Coal Generation has revealed allegations of external pressure to manipulate laboratory reports on substandard coal imports, while auditors have flagged irregularities in procurement procedures spanning 2022 to 2025.

Allegations have emerged that parties attempted to pressure officials into altering laboratory test reports concerning low-quality coal shipped to Sri Lanka, according to testimony provided to the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Coal Transactions. Saliya Panditharatne, a director at Lanka Coal Generation Private Limited, disclosed the claims while appearing before the commission, describing what he characterized as suspicious occurrences during the procurement process.

Panditharatne detailed several concerning incidents, including the unauthorized recording of internal company discussions and the subsequent distribution of these recordings to coal supplier firms. He also noted that certain vessels carrying coal remained anchored in Sri Lankan waters for extended periods while unspecified negotiations occurred between particular government officials and international suppliers. Following the discovery of substandard coal, neither the overseas suppliers nor their local representatives engaged in meetings convened by the Secretary to the Ministry of Energy, Panditharatne informed the commission.

Separately, the National Audit Office presented findings to the same commission highlighting irregularities spanning the four-year period from 2022 to 2025. Audit Superintendent K. M. Sumudu Dilhani testified that coal imports during 2023 to 2025 were conducted entirely through unsolicited proposal mechanisms, bypassing standard formal tender procedures. She cautioned that relying on unsolicited proposals created substantial operational and financial risks for the nation, leaving Sri Lanka in a disadvantageous negotiating position. Dilhani also outlined procedural modifications introduced to coal procurement frameworks following the country's severe economic downturn in 2022.