Sri Lanka energy minister quits as president orders coal probe

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody resigned on Friday after the president ordered an investigation into allegations of large-scale corruption in coal imports, the government said. The resignation follows a government audit last week that found substandard coal prevented a 900-megawatt thermal power plant — the country’s biggest — from operating at full capacity. To cover the shortfall, the state utility relied on more expensive diesel generation during a global energy crunch sparked by the Middle East conflict.

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