Complaint lodged with IGP over alleged misdirection of USD 2.5 million Treasury payment

Colombo, April 23 (Daily Mirror) - A complaint has been lodged with the Inspector General of Police calling for an immediate investigation into an alleged misdirection of a USD 2.5 million payment made by the Sri Lankan Treasury.

The complaint was filed by Convener of the Truth Seekers Movement and Attorney-at-Law Premnath C. Dolawatta.

The complaint, states that a sum of USD 2.5 million—part of a larger USD 22.9 million loan repayment due to a foreign country—had been paid by the Sri Lankan Treasury between December 2025 and January 2026.

However, it has been revealed through media reports that the payment had allegedly been diverted to a third party, believed to be a cyber hacker, instead of being transferred to the intended recipient country.

According to the complaint, a “technical investigation committee” had been appointed on or around March 4, 2026, to probe the incident. In connection with the matter, two Deputy Directors, two Directors, and the Head of the IT Division of the Treasury have reportedly been suspended.

The complaint further argues that a transaction of such magnitude could not have been carried out solely by a Deputy Treasury Secretary, an accountant or IT officers. It claims that senior officials—including the Deputy Treasury Secretary, the Treasury Secretary, Ministry Secretary, and the relevant political authority—would likely have had to be involved in the approval process.

Given the scale and seriousness of the alleged financial irregularity, the complainant has stressed that an internal technical committee alone is insufficient to conduct a comprehensive probe.

Instead, an independent and impartial investigation led by the Sri Lanka Police has been requested.