- President must reveal recipient: Namal
A group of SJB Parliamentarians is scheduled to meet Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa today (27) to discuss the course of action regarding the alleged cyber fraud involving nearly USD ($) 2.5 million diverted from a Government-linked payment.
Chief Opposition Whip Gayantha Karunathilleka told The Daily Morning yesterday (26) the meeting would determine the steps the Opposition intends to take. “We are planning to meet the Opposition Leader tomorrow morning. There, we will discuss what action we can and should take regarding this incident,” he said.
Meanwhile, National Organiser of the SLPP and Opposition MP Namal Rajapaksa called on President and Finance Minister Anura Kumara Dissanayake to immediately disclose the recipient of a controversial $ 2.5 million transfer, alleging the Government is attempting to conceal financial irregularities.
Speaking to the media in Colombo, he claimed that the payment had been made based on instructions received through a fraudulent email in December last year, raising serious concerns about transparency and accountability in the handling of public funds. “Who received this $ 2.5 million? Was it transferred to a single account or multiple accounts?” he asked.
An alleged cyber fraud involving nearly USD 2.5 million diverted from a Government payment linked to a bilateral transaction with Australia has come under intense public attention, with many asking how such a large sum could be redirected from an official Treasury-linked payment.
The incident, which occurred in early 2026, involved funds meant to be transferred to an Australian creditor, but the money was diverted after email communications connected to the payment were interfered with by cyber actors. Although the payment was processed through official systems, the intended recipient did not receive the funds.
According to the Finance Ministry and Treasury Secretary Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, the issue was detected in January 2026 after cyber actors attempted to gain access to the email system of the External Resources Department (ERD). He said that law enforcement agencies, including the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SL-CERT) and the Police Computer Crime Investigation Division (CCID), were immediately informed.