Treasury Secretary Harshana Suriyapperuma has asked the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) to defer his Thursday appearance on the USD 2.5 million Treasury cyber theft, citing a planned presidential statement in Parliament that the government wants to deliver before officials testify.

COPF Chairman Harsha de Silva told reporters on Wednesday that the committee received the secretary’s letter informing it he was unable to attend the scheduled session on April 30. The letter cited the President’s intention to make a statement in Parliament on the matter, with Suriyapperuma asking for an alternative date afterwards.

Deputy Minister of Mass Media Kaushalya Ariyarathne later told Newswire the secretary had not refused to appear before the committee but had only requested a date after May 5, the window during which the government plans to make its special parliamentary statement on the cyber theft. Suriyapperuma would appear before the COPF on a rescheduled date agreed with the committee, she said.

The Treasury Secretary had been summoned alongside senior Finance Ministry officials and the Central Bank Governor at COPF’s Tuesday meeting to explain the loss. Members had unanimously agreed to call the officials and instructed them to respond to queries about the case on April 30.

Dr. de Silva, who has publicly disputed the government’s “hacker” framing for the theft, told the committee on Tuesday that “Parliament has the full authority over public finance” and there was “no reason for the officials not to appear before the committee.”

The decision not to attend lands as multiple parallel accountability tracks intensify. The Free Lawyers’ Association has demanded the secretary’s resignation, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has called for a Parliamentary Select Committee, and a Magistrate’s Court has imposed travel bans on five interdicted officials while the CID investigates.

It was not immediately clear whether the COPF would accept the secretary’s proposed post-May 5 window or escalate the matter to the Speaker.

Sources: Newswire (Suriyapperuma letter), Newswire (Deputy Minister clarification).