🚨 Govt. Expands Investigation into $2.5 Mn Sovereign Debt Cyber Theft

• Overall Theft & Scope: Investigations have widened into a $2.5 Mn cyber fraud involving Sri Lanka’s sovereign debt repayment system. To date, 91 officials have been questioned under Fort Magistrate supervision. • International Assistance: Authorities have formally requested banking and digital records from six countries—the US, Australia, UAE, Switzerland, and Zambia—via Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) provisions. Interpol and the CIA are actively assisting in tracing fund movements. • Opposition Demands: Main opposition MP Kabir Hashim called for an immediate independent forensic audit of the Treasury and the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL). He questioned why four mid-level officers were suspended while the Public Finance Committee (CoPF) pointed to higher-level governance lapses. • Economic Impact: Officials warned that procedural failures in sovereign debt operations threaten to undermine global investor confidence while Sri Lanka continues rebuilding post-2022 default recovery. • Key Recommendations: The CoPF report emphasized urgent cybersecurity enhancements, stronger internal controls, and stricter verification protocols across national public debt management functions.