The Australian High Commission in Sri Lanka has confirmed that both its mission and Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Finance are aware of irregularities involving payments owed to the Australian Government.
In a statement posted on “X”, the High Commission said Sri Lankan authorities have launched an investigation into the matter and are working closely with Australian officials, who are assisting with the inquiry. It also reaffirmed that Australia remains committed to supporting Sri Lanka’s path toward debt sustainability.
The statement follows comments made by Deputy Minister of Finance Dr. Anil Jayantha, who said complaints had been filed with law enforcement agencies after a cyber theft incident involving unauthorised access to the computer system of the Department of External Resources under the Ministry of Finance.
He explained that the incident occurred during communication and fund settlement processes between the Australian Export Finance Agency and Sri Lanka’s Treasury, where both sides exchanged information via email.
According to him, hackers allegedly exploited this communication channel to manipulate data, and the issue came to light after a similar attempt was made to obtain additional funds linked to a payment due to India.
Suspicion was raised when changes were detected in bank account details, prompting the Treasury to immediately alert the Sri Lanka Police Computer Crimes Investigation Division and the Sri Lanka CERT. A detailed investigation was then carried out, tracing communications back to the early stages of debt restructuring and repayment discussions.
Authorities later found that funds intended for the Australian Export Finance Agency had been diverted into accounts controlled by hackers. A formal complaint has since been lodged with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and investigations are continuing.
