FINANCIAL CHRONICLE – Harsha de Silva, the Chairman of the Sri Lankan Parliament’s Committee on Public Finances, has requested clarification from the Treasury regarding a reported hacking incident that has resulted in the failure to pay loans to an international creditor.
“As we are recovering from a default, I need to know if the lack of payment to the creditor constitutes a technical default,” de Silva explained to the media.
He elaborated that he was investigating claims that a debt repayment of $2.5 million was compromised by a hacker who allegedly sent fraudulent payment instructions via email.
“I would have preferred to address this issue in Parliament,” de Silva remarked, “but regrettably, I was not afforded that chance.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Cabinet spokesperson Nalinda Jayatissa informed the press that the Treasury would be making an official statement on the situation.
When questioned about the possibility of parliamentary scrutiny on the matter, which was solicited by lawyer Maithree Gunaratne, Jayatissa did not provide a definitive answer.
De Silva further noted, “There were supposed to be five payments made to the creditor country, but upon not receiving them, they inquired about the reasons for the delay.”
(Colombo/Apr23/2026)
