• $2.5m Treasury cyber fraud still not before courts
• No statements recorded from suspended officials, lawyers claim



The Free Lawyers organisation yesterday (27) charged that five days after a suspected cyber heist involving US$ 2.5 million in State funds, serious questions are mounting over delays, accountability, and transparency, amid claims  the matter has yet to even reach the courts.

They stressed that despite the gravity of the alleged Treasury-linked fraud, key legal and investigative steps remain stalled, raising concerns over the handling of one of the most serious financial breaches in recent times.

The organisation stated that the facts of the incident have still not been reported to a Magistrate’s Court, while investigators have also failed, thus far, to record statements from the suspended officers connected to the transaction.

Against this backdrop, it has directed 22 open questions to President and Finance Minister Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the Cabinet of Ministers, insisting that both must provide clear and transparent answers to the public.

The questions seek to establish whether the Government acknowledges the US$ 2.5 million has been misplaced or stolen, and whether the President had been informed of the incident and its timeline. The organisation also queried whether a prior cyber attack on the Finance Ministry’s data systems—reportedly around 6 September 2025—had been brought to the attention of the political leadership, and what action, if any, had followed.

It further pressed the President, who holds multiple key portfolios including Finance and National Security, on whether he accepts responsibility for the alleged breach at the General Treasury, warning that the incident may indicate vulnerabilities across critical sectors tied to national security.

The organisation also raised concerns over the appointment and conduct of the Finance Ministry Secretary, questioning his experience and alleging possible interference with evidence, including changes to appointments and preliminary investigation reports.

Among other issues, the questions probe when the President was first informed of the incident, whether Parliament and the public were duly notified in line with constitutional provisions, and whether a complaint had been promptly lodged with law enforcement authorities, including the Criminal Investigation Department.

The organisation also questioned whether the continued tenure of the Finance Ministry Secretary could compromise the integrity of any investigation, and called for his immediate removal to ensure a fair and independent probe.

The controversy stems from an alleged cyber fraud earlier this year, in which funds from a Treasury-linked payment—connected to a bilateral transaction with Australia—were diverted after email communications tied to the transfer were reportedly compromised.

While the payment was processed through official channels, the intended recipient did not receive the funds, fuelling growing concern over systemic lapses and the safeguarding of public finances.