Central Bank Governor Details USD 2.5 Million Debt Payment Fraud, Cites System Issues

Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe has spoken for the first time about the recent incident where USD 2.5 million intended for debt repayment was fraudulently obtained. Speaking at a press conference today, Dr. Weerasinghe explained that the issue stemmed from a problem during the migration of a system obtained in 2016, which had become outdated by 2020, leading to ambiguity regarding responsibility for the transaction. He assured that the Central Bank and the Ministry of Finance are working closely to strengthen procedures and prevent such incidents from recurring. The Governor also clarified that the Central Bank acts as the government's banker in the debt repayment process.