Kumar Jayakody

Kumara Jayakody, the former Sri Lankan Energy Minister (November 2024 to April 2026), faces legal and political controversy regarding his tenure as a public official and his ministerial duties. In March 2026, he was indicted by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) in the Colombo High Court for corruption allegedly committed in 2014–2016 while he was a procurement manager at the Ceylon Fertilizer Company. He is accused of influencing a procurement process, causing a loss of approximately Rs. 8.86 million to the state. Jayakody has pleaded not guilty but admitted to serving on the company's procurement committee during that period. He was granted bail. Separately, Jayakody faced intense scrutiny and a no-confidence motion in April 2026 over alleged irregularities and the procurement of substandard coal for the Lakvijaya Power Station. Although he survived the motion on April 10, 2026, he resigned from his ministerial post on April 17, 2026, to facilitate an independent investigation by a Special Presidential Commission. As of July 2026, he remains under investigation by this commission regarding coal import transactions.