Treasury officials in the Department of External Resources processed a $ 2.5 million loan repayment using emailed invoices without proper verification, leading to a fraudulent transfer of funds. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) informed the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court that the payment was authorized based on invoices received via email, purportedly from Export Finance Australia, without cross-referencing the instructions with the original loan agreement or seeking additional confirmation. Investigators have extracted transaction data for forensic analysis and recorded statements from 42 individuals. The court also reviewed the post-mortem report of an Assistant Director suspended in connection with the incident, and the case was adjourned to July 8, with a representative from the Attorney General’s Department expected to attend the next hearing.