By Roy Denish.
Sri Lanka procurement probe revisits $17.79 million paid for Australian cattle and Chinese fertilizer that authorities say never arrived.
Sri Lanka procurement probe investigators are examining two failed overseas deals worth $17.79 million involving Australian dairy cattle and Chinese fertilizer that Sri Lanka paid for but never received, officials said.
Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananda Wijepala told Parliament that authorities reopened the cases during a wider review of legacy Treasury payments and historical overseas transactions.
Investigators are examining a $11.09 million payment made between 2014 and 2015 for the planned procurement of 20,000 milch cows from Australia. Although the government released the public funds, the cattle never arrived. Wijepala said no previous formal investigation had examined the missing funds or the execution of the contract.
Sri Lanka procurement probe covers fertilizer deal
A separate investigation concerns a $6.7 million payment for a shipment of organic fertilizer from China. Sri Lankan agricultural authorities also never received that consignment.
“These cases form part of a wider review of historical overseas payments and financial anomalies undertaken by the government,” Wijepala told lawmakers. He added that investigators are reviewing older state transactions for unresolved irregularities and possible misuse of public money.
The renewed inquiries come amid increased public pressure for fiscal accountability and greater public sector transparency following years of economic crisis. The Sri Lanka procurement probe now aims to establish whether the multi-million-dollar losses resulted from contractual weaknesses, administrative negligence, or deliberate political misconduct.
