Probe Into Missing $2.5M Australian Loan Installment: CID and SL-CERT Intervene Over Cyber Breach
The Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development has officially broken its silence regarding the USD 2.5 million (approx. Rs. 800 million) missing debt payment, revealing that the External Resources Department (ERD) computer system was compromised by cyber hackers.
The incident, which involves a foreign currency payment made in January 2026, has triggered a massive multi-agency investigation involving top law enforcement and cybersecurity experts.
Law Enforcement Mobilized: CID and FIU Take Over
In a detailed statement, the Ministry confirmed that complaints have already been lodged with several high-level institutions to track the stolen funds and identify the perpetrators.
The investigation currently involves:
- Criminal Investigation Department (CID): Handling the core criminal probe into the theft.
- SL-CERT: The Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team is analyzing the technical breach of the ERD systems.
- Cyber Crimes Investigation Division: Working alongside police to trace the digital footprint of the hackers.
- Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU): The Central Bank’s specialized unit is monitoring the movement of the diverted foreign currency.
Internal Disciplinary Action Initiated
Beyond the criminal investigation, the Ministry has conducted a preliminary internal inquiry. This has already resulted in:
- Disciplinary proceedings being initiated against several officials.
- Necessary administrative actions taken to secure the Treasury's payment protocols.
The Ministry emphasized that it is providing full cooperation to law enforcement and has shared all required data to facilitate a swift recovery of the funds.
Allegations of "Contempt for Oversight"
The Ministry's clarification comes amid heavy criticism from Dr. Harsha De Silva, Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance (CoPF). Dr. De Silva questioned why authorities remained silent while the country reportedly defaulted on five debt payments to the creditor.
"In over 15 years in Parliament, I have never seen this level of contempt for parliamentary oversight," the MP stated, noting that the Ministry had missed three consecutive CoPF meetings regarding fiscal performance.
Investigation into "Fraudulent Emails"
A five-member technical committee, co-chaired by Deputy Secretaries to the Treasury A. N. Hapugala and S. S. Mudalige, is specifically tasked with probing how "fraudulent payment instructions" received via email were able to bypass internal controls.
The committee includes experts from the National Planning Department, Legal Affairs, and IT Management to ensure a comprehensive audit of the failure.
Future Updates and International Coordination
The Ministry stated that future arrangements regarding the missing funds will be handled in accordance with existing agreements between this jurisdiction and foreign countries (Australia).
Further updates will be released only when deemed appropriate, to ensure that public disclosures do not disturb the ongoing CID and SL-CERT investigations.
Keywords: Finance Ministry, Central Bank, USD 2.5 million missing, Harsha De Silva, CoPF, Cyber Hack, CID Investigation, SL-CERT, External Resources Department, Treasury Fraud.
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