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Hack-in heist: Main culprit still at large
While Bangladesh investigators are to visit Sri Lanka in connection with the US$ 100 million hack-in heist that has rocked the global financial world, the main culprit in Sri Lanka is still at large, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) sources said.
A senior CID officer told the Sunday Times that the NGO Shalika Foundation which had been set up in the guise of helping low income families was being probed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. He said the NGO had a strong link with a Sri Lankan who had extensive business connections with Japan and that the CID was on this man’s trail. “We are aware of his whereabouts and we are probing his dealings with this NGO,” the officer said, declining to give more information. Colombo’s Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya last Monday directed the Immigration and Emigration Controller to prevent the directors of Shalika Foundation from leaving the country. This came after the detection that Chinese cyber criminals had transferred US$ 20 million to the NGO’s account after they hacked in to Bangladesh Central Bank’s account with the US Federal Reserve Board. An alert Sri Lankan bank employee had made the detection and stalled the transfer.
Following a request by the CID, the Chief Magistrate barred Gamage Shalika Perera of Dehiwala, Don Prasad Rohitha of Piliyandala, Nishantha Nalaka Walakuluarachchi of Homagama, Sanjeewa Tissa Bandara of Dehiwala and Shirani Dhammika Fernando of Dehiwala from leaving the country.