Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala has stunned the nation by revealing that nearly six billion dollars in assets have gone missing, raising serious concerns about corruption and accountability in Sri Lanka’s financial system.
Speaking at the inauguration of the new Proceeds of Crime Investigation Division in Colombo, Minister Wijepala disclosed that although Sri Lanka had obtained foreign project loans amounting to US$8 billion, the actual assets visible in the country were worth less than US$2 billion. He alleged that the remaining funds — amounting to approximately US$6 billion — appear to have been siphoned off and seized by a network of individuals.
The revelation has sparked fresh debate over long-standing concerns about financial mismanagement, corruption and large-scale fraud. The Minister expressed hope that the Proceeds of Crime Act, together with the newly established division, would play a decisive role in curbing organized crime, money laundering and drug trafficking, while helping to trace and recover stolen public funds.
Wijepala’s remarks underscore the scale of Sri Lanka’s governance challenges at a time when the country continues to recover from an economic crisis, highlighting the urgent need for stronger mechanisms to safeguard national resources.
