Sri Lanka’s Financial Mystery: Autopsy and Investigation Unfold

In a significant development, Sri Lanka has appointed a four-member foreign experts panel to conduct an autopsy on a senior government official found dead under suspicious circumstances. The deceased, Rangana Nishantha Rajapaksa, was suspended from his duties weeks prior due to accusations tied to a financial scandal.

The police suspect Rajapaksa, who was Assistant Director at the External Resources Department of the Ministry of Finance, might have committed suicide. His body was discovered in his Kuliyapitiya residence's backyard with severe cut injuries. He was notably involved in a case concerning a USD 2.5 million loss due to hacking.

This financial anomaly, involving the hacking of a Finance Ministry account, stirred political unrest. The Samagi Jana Balawegaya, Sri Lanka's main opposition party, has criticized the government over the issue, which links to a partial debt repayment to Australia. The incident is reminiscent of the country's economic crisis several years ago.

(With inputs from agencies.)