Thursday Apr 30, 2026
Thursday Apr 30, 2026
Thursday, 30 April 2026 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Treasury Secretary Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma
CoPF Chairman MP Dr. Harsha
de Silva
Treasury Secretary Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma has declined to appear before the Parliamentary Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) today stating that President and Finance Minister Anura Kumara Dissanayake was expected to address Parliament on the $ 2.5 million Treasury breach.
CoPF Chairman MP Dr. Harsha de Silva was not having any of it. “This is a kick in the face of the promised ‘system change’ the people of this country voted for. It is also a breakdown of the undertaking to the International Monetary Fund on governance,” Dr. de Silva posted on ‘X.’ “His excuse is that the President will address Parliament next week and he can come (before CoPF) thereafter. That is not acceptable.”
Dr. de Silva said the Treasury Secretary had informed his decision not to appear before the CoPF via a letter. The CoPF had summoned Dr. Suriyapperuma and Central Bank of Si Lanka (CBSL) Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe to seek answers regarding the $ 2.5 million debt payment that had been transferred to cyber-criminals posing as Export Finance Australia. Dr. de Silva told the Daily FT that the CBSL appearance before the CoPF was cancelled as a result.
Referring to Dr. Suriyapperuma’s no-show, Dr. de Silva said on ‘X’: “This is unacceptable as the Constitution of Sri Lanka places full control of public Finance with Parliament and by standing order COPF is directly responsible for oversight on debt repayment among many other important matters. Thus, him being summoned is not an act of discretion but a constitutional duty of the Committee. He has to answer questions by the committee. And he had the opportunity to put the ‘record straight’ if by any chance he was being wrongly accused.
“But why is he running away? What is there to hide? As the incumbent Secretary to the Treasury, he has a responsibility. He must fulfil that responsibility or if he cannot, he must give it to someone who can. This is also personal to him since he is the first ever politician to occupy this important civil service position; he sat as an MP of the JVP/NPP Government and even as a member of our Committee till the day before this appointment.
“This high handed act shows total lack of respect for the Parliamentary system of checks and balances that is so critical post-crisis, that is why the COPF is Chaired by a member of the Opposition since the 2022 meltdown,” Dr. de Silva posted.
Earlier this week, the Government had rejected an Opposition request at the party leaders’ meeting to hold a Parliamentary debate on the $ 2.5 million Treasury cyber breach. Chief Opposition Whip Gayantha Karunathilaka said the matter was raised at a party leaders’ meeting, where the Opposition called for a debate when Parliament reconvenes on 5 May. He said the Government did not agree to allocate time for the debate, citing other more important matters needed to be conducted in the House.
