Civil society group Free Lawyers, which first publicised the diversion of a USD 2.5 million debt repayment meant for Australia’s Export Finance Agency, has called for the immediate resignation of Treasury Secretary Harshana Suriyapperuma, activist Keerthi Tennakoon said.
According to the group, the payment was made to a new bank account “received from a person who had been in contact with some senior officials”, not the one specified in the loan agreement. Free Lawyers argues that the account number in the agreement could only be changed with the Treasury Secretary’s approval, making Suriyapperuma accountable for the breach.
The group said a third party had already secured root access to the Treasury’s computer system in September 2025 and that Suriyapperuma was informed of this at the time but failed to act or alert authorities. Sixteen officials are now implicated in the scheme, up from the five senior officials interdicted earlier this week. Free Lawyers said the breach was detected by a relatively junior officer rather than senior management.
Tennakoon said Suriyapperuma, who resigned his National List seat to take up the top Treasury post, should step down. Suriyapperuma, a former NPP lawmaker, succeeded Mahinda Siriwardena in late June 2025.
The government has acknowledged the breach. Deputy Finance Minister Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando has said hackers intercepted Finance Ministry emails and redirected the payment, and a technical committee review has already led to suspensions. COPF Chair Harsha de Silva has separately questioned whether the missed creditor payment constitutes a technical default on sovereign obligations.
Free Lawyers said it will continue monitoring the investigations to ensure transparency. The fraud coincides with the Rs. 13.2 billion NDB fraud and has added to pressure on the Finance Ministry.
