Kusal Perera corruption allegations target Sri Lanka’s government over 323 released containers, disputed coal imports and diesel power costs.
Political analyst compares alleged losses under Dissanayake’s administration with corruption during the Rajapaksa years.
Political analyst and journalist Kusal Perera has accused President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s administration of presiding over corruption exceeding, in just two years, what he claims occurred during former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s nine years in power.
Perera based his accusations on controversies involving Sri Lanka Customs and electricity generation, particularly the release of 323 containers without mandatory physical inspection and the importation of 19 shipments of coal he described as inferior in quality.
Parliament has confirmed that 323 containers were released from the Colombo Port without the required physical inspections. A Parliamentary Select Committee was subsequently established to investigate the legality of their release, determine accountability and examine whether the consignments contained prohibited goods.
Perera argued that the financial implications could not be established by simply estimating losses at Rs. 8 billion or Rs. 10 billion. Without knowing what the containers contained, he said, neither their actual value nor the potential loss of customs revenue could be reliably calculated.
He also referred to subsequent detections of methamphetamine, commonly known as “ice”, in Sri Lanka, suggesting that these discoveries had fuelled suspicions about the containers’ contents.
No evidence establishing that the 323 containers contained narcotics was presented in the source account. Perera nevertheless alleged that the irregular clearance process could have enabled valuable goods to enter the country without the payment of applicable customs duties.
Comparing the controversy with the Central Bank bond scandal during the former Yahapalana administration, he characterised the alleged customs losses as potentially far greater. His broader claim that corruption under Dissanayake had surpassed that of the Rajapaksa years remains an allegation, not an independently established financial comparison.
Coal Shipments and Electricity Generation Under Scrutiny
Perera separately alleged that authorities had permitted 19 shipments of substandard coal to enter Sri Lanka, describing the procurement as a major fraud.
He claimed that the coal’s poor quality reduced electricity generation and increased dependence on more expensive diesel-powered generation, creating additional financial losses.
Coal procurement is also under official investigation. On September 29, reports indicated that a Presidential Special Investigations Commission had recorded 370 statements from 204 individuals concerning coal transactions.
Ten further individuals, including former energy ministers and ministry secretaries, were expected to provide statements as the inquiry continued.
Perera questioned whether the administration could deliver the reconstruction and development it had promised during the remaining three years of its term, given what he described as two years of corruption and shortcomings in ministerial administration.
The allegations arise while separate official inquiries examine customs procedures and coal procurement. Parliament’s container investigation is tasked with establishing responsibility for the releases, determining whether prohibited goods were involved and examining the conduct of relevant government authorities and private entities.
Their findings will be central to establishing which allegations are supported by evidence and whether further action is warranted.
SOURCE:- SRI LANKA GUARDIAN
