Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath has described allegations against former Deputy High Commissioner to Australia, Himalee Arunatilaka, as completely false. 

Arunatilaka, now Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) in Geneva, was recently fined over $100,000 by an Australian court for breaches of employment laws regarding unpaid wages to a domestic worker.

Minister Herath insisted that Arunatilaka did not commit any offences related to salary payments, clarifying that the Sri Lankan Government is responsible for paying its diplomats and their staff according to local salary scales, which are lower than those in Australia.

He emphasised that the legal actions taken by the Australian Government reflect local laws, not any wrongdoing by Arunatilaka, and acknowledged the challenges presented by differing salary expectations.