Forty-two ancient paintings have gone missing from the National Art Gallery in Colombo, Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Hiniduma Sunil Senevi told parliament on Thursday.
According to the official ledger and stock books, the gallery’s collection should contain 281 paintings. “However, the physical number of paintings actually remaining inside the Kalabhavana is 239. Accordingly, the discrepancy between these two figures is 42,” the Minister said in response to a question.
The discrepancy was first identified by a physical verification and survey committee appointed in 2015 under instructions from the then Director of Cultural Affairs. The committee inspected paintings and sculptures held by the institution and subsequently submitted a stock verification report highlighting the gap between official asset records and the actual on-site inventory.
The Ministry Secretary has since appointed a separate inquiry committee that has begun preliminary investigations and is recording statements from relevant parties. A parallel police investigation is also under way, the Minister said, with the Colombo South Division Criminal Investigation Bureau conducting assessments. The Minister told parliament he had referred the matter to Police in 2024 and again in 2025.
The National Art Gallery is currently closed for renovation, EconomyNext reported. With 15 percent of the catalogued collection unaccounted for and the discrepancy dating to a survey conducted more than a decade ago, the disclosure raises questions about how the museum’s holdings were tracked through multiple ministry tenures and why CID involvement was not formalised earlier.
NewsFirst reported on Sunday that Police have since recorded statements from nine former officials of the Department of Cultural Affairs, including former officers in charge dating back to 1990. A report on the incident has also been obtained from the Secretary to the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. Investigators said many of the antiquities and artworks housed at the gallery had not been properly catalogued or entered into a formal data management system, with further statements expected as the probe continues.
The missing-paintings probe is separate from the state-enterprise accountability work being driven by COPE, which has ordered a broad internal audit overhaul across 300 state-owned enterprises. COPE also flagged alleged NHDA land fraud this week and referred that matter to CID and CIABOC.
