Opposition lawmakers have submitted a no‑confidence motion against Minister of Energy Kumara Jayakody to the Speaker of Parliament.
Chief Opposition Whip MP Gayanta Karunathilaka handed over the motion to Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne this morning.
The motion has already been signed by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, members of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, and a group of other opposition representatives.
According to reports, the motion claims the Minister of Energy has failed to discharge his primary duty to ensure the procurement of sufficient and quality coal for the Lakvijaya Coal Power Plant in Norochcholai, and that such gross negligence in overseeing a critical national energy asset constitutes a fundamental breach of the responsibility of a minister.
They also point out that the Minister of Energy has been formally charged before the Colombo High Court by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) under Section 70 of the Bribery Act for committing an ‘‘act of corruption’‘ while serving as the Procurement Manager of the Ceylon Fertilizer Company Limited. (Newswire)