The National People’s Power (NPP) government is facing a serious financial scandal involving the alleged loss of USD 2.5 million (around Rs. 800 million) from state funds, with senior Finance Ministry officials still unable to clearly explain how the money disappeared or who is responsible.

The situation has drawn strong public attention after the government held an urgent media briefing but failed to provide clear answers, raising further questions from journalists about the incident.

The Central Bank has also come under scrutiny over how such a large-scale and organized cyber theft could go undetected for months without being identified by responsible officials.

According to reports, the funds were allegedly stolen in multiple transactions over a period between December 2025 and January 2026, during which hackers are believed to have accessed the Treasury system.

Authorities say the issue was only discovered later when a similar cyber intrusion attempt was detected during a payment process to India.

Treasury Secretary Harshana Suriyapperuma stated that disciplinary action has already been taken against several officials following an internal investigation, although details regarding their involvement or negligence were not disclosed due to ongoing inquiries.

He also confirmed that the matter was reported to the Police Computer Crimes Division, CERT, and the Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.

Officials have informed the Australian High Commission and the affected creditor, in line with diplomatic procedures, while investigations continue into whether the attack was carried out locally or from abroad.

The government has not yet decided how the stolen funds will be recovered or repaid if recovery efforts fail, saying that a final decision will be made after investigations are completed.

Authorities have also confirmed that legal action will follow once law enforcement agencies conclude their inquiries into the incident.