Australian Mission Confirms Investigation Into Owed Payments

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Australian High Commission in Colombo confirmed that it is aware of irregularities related to payments owed to the Australian Government.

The High Commission posted on X, formerly known as twitter, that Sri Lankan authorities are currently investigating the matter and are working in coordination with Australian officials, who are assisting with the investigation.

The statement noted that Australia has reiterated that it remains committed to supporting Sri Lanka’s return to debt sustainability as the inquiries continue.

On 22nd April, Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development has confirmed that cyber hackers gained unauthorized access to the computer system of a department within the ministry, prompting criminal investigations.

The ministry said complaints have already been lodged with law enforcement agencies and other relevant institutions regarding the cyber intrusion, which targeted the External Resources Department of the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.

According to the statement, the breach was detected following an investigation into a foreign currency payment made in January 2026. Based on the findings, the ministry informed the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SL‑CERT) and the Computer Investigation Division of the Sri Lanka Police. Subsequent investigations led to formal complaints being lodged with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.