Daijiworld Media Network – Colombo
Colombo, Apr 23: Sri Lanka is seeking to recover USD 2.5 million lost in a cyber hacking incident involving the Finance Ministry’s payment system, a top official confirmed on Thursday.
Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Harshana Suriyapperuma said a high-powered committee had been appointed to investigate the breach and the diversion of funds.
The confirmation came a day after the opposition alleged that part of a treasury payment had been transferred to a hacker’s account instead of reaching the intended creditor.
According to officials, Sri Lanka was due to make a payment of USD 22.9 million to a creditor in September 2025, of which USD 2.5 million was remitted between December 2025 and January 31, 2026.
A group of opposition lawyers had written to the Speaker of Parliament, claiming the amount had been misdirected due to hacking and urging an inquiry, noting that public finances fall under Parliament’s oversight.
The issue was also raised before Parliament’s Committee on Public Accounts (COPA).
Suriyapperuma told reporters the hacking had been carried out through email and the ministry became aware of cyber intrusion attempts earlier this year.
“In January 2026, we came to know that cyber criminals were trying to enter the External Resources Department’s system. When such information was reported, we coordinated with relevant foreign countries and ensured no further harm was caused,” he said.
He added that steps had been taken to contain the breach and efforts were under way to recover the diverted funds.
In a related development, the Australian High Commission in Colombo said both it and Sri Lanka’s Finance Ministry were aware of irregularities in payments owed to the Australian government.
“Sri Lankan authorities are investigating the matter and are coordinating with Australian officials who are assisting the investigation,” the mission said in a statement.
The incident has sparked concern over cybersecurity safeguards in Sri Lanka’s public financial systems, even as authorities continue investigations into the breach.