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Sri Lanka Finance Ministry confirms cyber hackers stole funds
Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Finance says cyber hackers gained unauthorized access to the computer system of the External Resources Department and carried out a theft involving a foreign currency payment. The statement was issued hours after opposition figures alleged that USD 2.5 million in Treasury funds had been diverted during a foreign debt repayment. In a statement issued today, the Ministry said it had already lodged complaints with law enforcement agencies and relevant institutions over the incident. The Ministry said the matter relates to a foreign currency payment made in January 2026 and that it had informed the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team and the Computer Crime Investigation Division of the Sri Lanka Police. Following investigations, complaints were also lodged with the Criminal Investigation Department and the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. A preliminary internal inquiry has also been conducted, with necessary action taken and disciplinary proceedings initiated against several officials, the statement added. The Ministry said it will continue to cooperate with ongoing investigations and provide further updates at an appropriate time, without disrupting current probes. (Newswire) 2026-04-22
Cyber theft raises questions about Government competence and commitment ...
Columns View(s): Post-Avurudu blow for ruling NPP as Lanka loses US$2.5 million to hackers; opposition demands Treasury Secretary’s resignation Government appoints expert committee to study Easter Sunday report recommendations; Cardinal endorses probe’s progress Indian Vice President Radhakrishnan holds top-level meetings in Sri Lanka with political leaders, urges Tamil parties to unite By our Political Desk The new year hasn’t got off to an auspicious start for the ruling National People’s Power (NPP). Barely had the government managed to distract the public from the scandal over the import of substandard coal when it was hit by a worse scandal — the breach of the Finance Ministry’s computer systems, which resulted in a payment of USD 2.5 million to hackers. A party that insisted it was the one hope to end the “76-year curse” plaguing the country due to the corrupt governance of those who held power since Independence, has now found itself mired in scandals similar to those that engulfed its predecessors. Moreover, the NPP’s responses to those scandals are looking ever more similar to the responses adopted by its predecessors in government as well. Therein lies the supreme irony of it all. Treasury Secretary Harshana Suriyapperuma addressing the media conference on Thursday This week’s stunning admission by the Finance Ministry that hackers had breached its computer system and siphoned off USD 2.5 million is just the latest scandal to hit the NPP administration. The revelation made global headlines and caused enormous embarrassment to both the government and the country as a whole. According to a statement released by the Finance Ministry on Wednesday, the hackers had breached the computer system of its External Resources Department. “Based on identified information relating to a foreign currency payment in January 2026, the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development informed the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SL-CERT) and the Computer Crime Investigation Division of the Sri Lanka Police. Based on the investigations carried out, a complaint was subsequently lodged with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of the Central Bank,” the statement said. It added that a preliminary internal inquiry was also conducted, and disciplinary actions have been initiated against several officials. The Treasury’s acknowledgement came after the opposition-aligned Free Lawyers’ Association, led by Pre...
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The $2.5 Million Cyber Theft: A Wake-Up Call for Sri Lanka's ...
In a concerning development for Sri Lanka's public sector, a cyberattack targeting the Public Debt Management Office (PDMO) under the Ministry of Finance resulted in an estimated loss of USD 2.5 ...
