The Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) says the National People’s Power (NPp) government is facilitating corruption by awarding a key coal import tender to a company lacking the necessary qualifications.
Speaking at the “Uththaraya Api” conference in Polonnaruwa on 28 September, FSP Educational Secretary Pubudu Jayagoda claimed the tender, opened on 15 September, was suspiciously granted to Trident Chemphar, with procurement guidelines reportedly circumvented to favour the bidder.
Jayagoda highlighted that under 2021 regulations, bidders were required to hold a minimum stockpile of one million metric tonnes of coal.
However, he said this was drastically reduced by 90% to 100,000 metric tonnes in the 2025 criteria, a move he said was highly questionable.
He also raised concerns over the company’s track record, citing a 2016 Auditor General’s report that noted Trident Chemphar’s violation of procurement rules when supplying 30,000 metric tonnes of rice to the state-run Sathosa in 2014.
Jayagoda revealed that the company’s owner, Sarath Chandra Reddy, was arrested in New Delhi in 2022 on allegations of money laundering linked to liquor tax fraud.
He also said that the company’s local representative, Sarath Bandara Jayasundara, has been banned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) since 2019 for match-fixing offenses.
Jayagoda accused the NPP government of manipulating procurement processes to benefit Trident Chemphar and its associates, effectively embedding corrupt practices in public contracts.
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