The Committee on Public Finance (COPF) has summoned Treasury Secretary Harshana Suriyapperuma to explain the USD 2.5 million cyber theft from a foreign loan repayment, escalating Parliament’s scrutiny of the case.
COPF Chairman Harsha de Silva confirmed the Treasury Secretary will appear on Thursday, April 30, alongside other senior Finance Ministry officials. The Central Bank Governor has also been summoned to face questioning. The decision was taken unanimously by committee members at Tuesday’s meeting.
“I strongly maintained that the Treasury Secretary must be called before the committee. After discussion, all members unanimously agreed to this proposal,” Dr. de Silva said.
He framed the inquiry in non-partisan terms, noting Parliament’s constitutional authority over public finance. “We must look at this as a national issue. We cannot solve this with partisan views. There is clearly a problem, and Parliament has the full authority over public finance,” he said. The committee, he added, has the authority under standing orders to summon officials and examine the matter.
Responding to recent claims from outside Parliament that no fraud had occurred, Dr. de Silva cautioned against premature conclusions. “Do not label this. We have a responsibility. There is no reason for the officials not to appear before the committee,” he said. He has previously publicly disputed the government’s “hacker” framing for the loss.
The summons marks the third active parliamentary accountability track over the heist, alongside Sajith Premadasa’s call for a Parliamentary Select Committee and the Free Lawyers’ Association’s 22-question demand to the President. Five officials have been interdicted and a Magistrate’s Court has imposed travel bans on them while the CID investigates.
Source: Newswire.
