Sri Lanka’s Minister for Power and Energy Kumara Jayakodi resigned on Friday, hours after the government set up a Presidential Commission to probe coal imports linked to a state-owned entity used for power generation.

Jayakodi, who survived a ‘No Trust’ vote last week, is the first minister from the National People’s Power (NPP) government to step down since it came to power in late 2024 on an anti-corruption platform.

Along with him, Ministry Secretary Udayanga Hemapala also resigned. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s office said the resignations were to allow an independent investigation by a Special Presidential Commission.

According to the President’s Media Division (PMD), the move is to facilitate an independent investigation by the Special Presidential Commission appointed to probe matters related to coal imports, it said.

Earlier on Friday, the government announced the setting up of a Presidential Commission to probe Lanka Coal Ltd.

The probe will cover coal imports for power generation from the time they began up to April 16, 2026, according to a statement from the President’s Office.

Jayakodi recently faced the first no-confidence motion against an NPP minister and survived it on April 10 with a 153–49 vote.

In the no trust motion, Jayakodi was accused of causing a massive loss to the state on purchasing coal, endangering national energy security by misappropriating the state procurement process.

During the parliamentary debate, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya said the opposition had not proved any of the charges.

Speaking during the debate, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya said the opposition was unable to prove any accusation against the minister. Jayakodi said he remained committed to the anti-corruption position of the NPP government.

He has already been indicted by the Bribery and Corruption Commission for misconduct in his previous job in the State Fertiliser Corporation. The opposition charged that Jayakodi must resign with the serious nature of his conduct.

The resignation comes as the government moves ahead with the probe into coal imports. The findings are expected to draw close political attention in the coming weeks.