Former United National Party (UNP) Deputy Leader and Member of Parliament Ravi Karunanayake says Parliament’s Committee on Public Finance (COPF) has a responsibility to investigate the alleged US$1 billion systemic foreign exchange fraud recently referred to by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
Speaking to the media, Karunanayake said the issue may have come to light following discussions and questions raised by the Committee on Public Finance regarding cryptocurrency transactions in January 2025.
He noted that since the President, who also serves as the Minister of Finance, and the Minister of Public Security have publicly referred to the matter, it is now the responsibility of COPF to conduct a thorough inquiry.
Karunanayake said a request has already been made for the relevant officials and institutions to be summoned before the committee to assist with the investigation.
He stressed that Parliament has a duty to examine matters of significant public interest, particularly when allegations of large-scale financial irregularities are raised by the country’s highest authorities.
“The President has spoken of a fraud amounting to one billion US dollars—around Rs. 340 billion. If such a large-scale fraud has occurred through a number of companies, it is an extremely serious matter. As members of the Committee on Public Finance, we believe it is our responsibility to investigate these allegations. If we fail to examine a statement made by the President, it would raise serious questions about whether we are properly fulfilling our responsibilities,” Karunanayake said.
The MP emphasized that a comprehensive investigation by the Committee would help establish the facts, identify any regulatory failures, and ensure accountability if any wrongdoing is confirmed.
