A Treasury report has concluded that the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) also bears responsibility for the disappearance of US$2.5 million in Treasury funds, and the regulator has been given one week to formally respond to the findings, Ada Derana reported on Tuesday citing Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) Chairman Dr. Harsha de Silva.

The finding marks the first time a government inquiry has formally attributed a share of the blame for the diverted Australian creditor payment to the central bank, after months of public discussion that had largely focused on Treasury IT systems and a fraudulent email channel. The CoPF, which accepted the Treasury report on June 4 after an earlier procedural standoff, took up the document at a committee meeting on Monday (8 June).

Treasury Secretary Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma and CBSL Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe were both summoned before the committee for the discussion, Dr. de Silva said. The committee reviewed the report and sought further clarification from the central bank on its role in the affair. CBSL has been directed to submit its formal position on the findings within seven days — placing a hard deadline of around 15 June for the bank’s response.

Dr. de Silva disclosed the conclusion in an appearance on the current affairs programme Derana 360° that aired Monday night. He has previously questioned the government’s “cyber fraud” framing of the incident and pressed both Treasury and the central bank on whether the missing payment amounts to a technical default on Sri Lanka’s external obligations.

The US$2.5 million payment was originally intended for an Australian creditor but was diverted to a third party in early 2026. The case has spawned parallel tracks at the CID, CoPF and CIABOC. Opposition figures including Dilith Jayaweera and Sajith Premadasa have previously argued the loss cannot be explained by external hackers alone, a position the Tuesday Treasury finding implicitly supports by formally widening responsibility to the CBSL.

Sources: Ada Derana — Central Bank also responsible for missing US$2.5 million, Treasury Report indicates.