Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa on Tuesday rejected opposition demands for the resignation of Finance Ministry Secretary Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma over the USD 2.5 million cyber theft, and dismissed allegations of dual citizenship as false.
Speaking at the weekly Cabinet briefing in Colombo, Dr. Jayatissa said there had been no Cabinet discussion of removing the Secretary, “and there is no requirement for that.” He said the Finance Ministry took prompt action when the breach was identified, with Dr. Suriyapperuma personally approving complaints to the Criminal Investigation Department and the Computer Emergency Readiness Team and authorising the suspension of four ministry officials.
“It was the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance and the senior management of the Ministry who took decisions and initiated action,” Dr. Jayatissa said, adding that no internal disciplinary procedures could have proceeded without the Secretary’s approval.
On dual citizenship, the minister was unequivocal: “He is not a dual citizen. I state this very responsibly, he has not been a dual citizen at any time while holding any of these positions” — referring to Dr. Suriyapperuma’s stints as Member of Parliament, Deputy Minister and now Treasury Secretary. He said legal action could have been pursued if the claim were true.
The intervention is the government’s first formal defence of Dr. Suriyapperuma on both fronts simultaneously. Opposition MP Wimal Weerawansa raised five questions on the Secretary’s citizenship and qualifications on Monday, while the Free Lawyers’ Collective and other groups have called for his resignation over the cyber theft. Deputy Finance Minister Anil Jayantha Fernando told parliament earlier on Monday that the heist will not be treated as a technical debt default.
Dr. Jayatissa warned that spreading “false news” before investigations conclude “has already resulted in serious harm,” in an apparent reference to the death of External Resources Department Director Ranga Rajapaksha.
