Company that got Norochcholai Power plant tender paid US $ 20 mn as commission
Posted on June 6th, 2018
Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana Courtesy The Daily Mirror
A sum of US $ 20 million has been obtained as commissions from a foreign company involved in the construction of the Norochcholai Power plant, State Minister of Power and Renewable Energy Ajith P. Perera told Parliament yesterday.
State Minister Perera made this revelation in response to an oral question raised by government MP Nalin Bandara in the House last afternoon. He said that there was evidence to say that certain irregularities had taken place when constructing the power plant, the State Minister said.
State Minister Perera also revealed that there had been irregularities pertaining to tenders to supply coal from 2010 to 2015. He said a contract had been awarded to a company named Nobel Resource Limited for the supply of coal to the CEB without tenders being called. The State Minister said a sum of US Dollars 366. 353 million had been paid to this company for supplying 4,585, 670 metric tonnes of coal without a tender procedure.
According to State Minister Perera, the company Nobel Resource Limited has supplied a total of 4,585, 670 MT of coal to the Ceylon Electricity Board from 2010 to 2015
He said that the operation of the Norochcholai Coal Power plant was interrupted for 24 days as the company failed to supply coal on time. The time duration was from September 28, 2011 to October 23, 2011. The loss to the government by this shipment delay was Rs. 3500 million. He pointed out that a further Rs. 12,500 million loss had been recorded for the same reasons during years 2014-2015 as well.
June 6th, 2018 at 8:16 am
Construction of the Norochcholai Power plant began on 11 May 2006, with the first unit commissioning on 22 March 2011.[1] The first 300-megawatt phase was completed and ceremonially commissioned by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on 22 March 2011 at 18:27 local time, with the presence of Minister of Energy Champika Ranawaka, deputy Minister of Energy Premalal Jayasekara.
The former minister of Energy John Seneviratne could not attend as he was injured in a traffic accident on the way to the ceremony.
Champika Ranawaka took over the Ministry from 23 April 2010 to 28 January 2013.
Looks like former minister of Energy John Seneviratne was responsible for finalising the contract. So who took that $30 million commission. Don’t you think that John Seneviratne was completely unaware of this.
Pavithra Devi Wanniarachchi took over the Ministry from 28 January 2013 to 12 January 2015
if there had been irregularities pertaining to tenders to supply coal from 2010 to 2015. If a contract had been awarded to a company named Nobel Resource Limited for the supply of coal to the CEB without tenders being called.
Similarly Don’t you think that Champika Ranawaka was not aware of this corrupt deal.