COPE Committee Reveals Missing Staff Linked to Postal Department Financial Irregularities

Sri Lanka's Committee on Public Accounts (COPE) has been informed that several individuals implicated in significant financial fraud and severe disciplinary misconduct within the Postal Department have vanished. The revelations came to light during a recent COPE meeting chaired by Member of Parliament Kabir Hashim.

COPE has issued a directive for the immediate acceleration of investigations into these financial irregularities and disciplinary infractions. The committee expressed concern over the prolonged duration of some inquiries, with certain cases remaining unresolved for years. Compounding the issue, some accused individuals have either disappeared or passed away, while legal proceedings for other incidents have been delayed.

Further complicating matters is a shortage of human resources within the investigative unit. The committee underscored the critical need to conclude investigations and disciplinary actions against accused officials within stipulated timelines. It also emphasized the necessity of promptly identifying responsible parties and initiating measures to recover losses incurred by the department.

The committee's attention was also drawn to the need for reinforcing the Postal Department's financial control and internal management procedures. These discussions stemmed from a review of the progress of investigations into financial fraud and disciplinary violations that have occurred within the department from 2004 to 2025.