Another erroneous transaction rattles Govt

A transaction involving more than Rs. 80 million had taken place in the payment of dues to SriLankan Airlines’ service provider in Dubai

• Receiver’s email address had allegedly been hacked by cyber criminals, prompting an investigation
• Investigation launched 
• Deputy Minister says receiver’s email hacked, so no loss to SriLankan 

By Kelum Bandara 

Hot on the heels of two cyber thefts that rattled the Government, another erroneous transaction involving more than Rs. 80 million had taken place in the payment of dues to SriLankan Airlines’ service provider in Dubai.

The payment, made in the UAE’s dirham currency, is estimated at over Rs. 80 million in exchange value. Opposition MP Dayasiri Jayasekara, in a post on X, raised concerns over the incident and urged the Government to investigate it. He said that a payment of AED 97,450 had been transferred to a different account.

Ports, Civil Aviation and Energy Minister Aruna Karunatilake confirmed to Daily Mirror that such an error had taken place in a transaction linked to the national carrier’s operations in Dubai, and that an internal investigation had been launched.

He also said he would make a detailed statement on the matter soon.

Deputy Minister Janitha Kodituwakku said that the receiver’s email address had allegedly been hacked by cyber criminals, prompting an investigation.

“As a result, it will not be a loss to the Sri Lankan side,” he said.

“For us, it is recorded as a closed transaction. It appears that the receiver’s email had been breached, leading to the diversion of money.

However, we are also carrying out an internal investigation,” he added.

Earlier, Sri Lanka lost US$ 2.5 million paid to Australia as part of debt servicing, and another US$ 625,000 paid by the Department of Posts to the US Postal Service (USPS).

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are currently assisting Sri Lankan authorities with investigations into those incidents.