6 Sri Lankans banned from leaving after Bangladesh bank hack

Image
AP Colombo
Last Updated : Mar 23 2016 | 7:03 PM IST
A Sri Lankan court banned foreign travel by six directors of a foundation that police said was remitted some of the USD 101 million stolen in the hacking of Bangladesh Central Bank's account at the Federal Reserve Bank in New York.
The Immigration Department will implement the order, spokesman Lakshan Zoysa said.
Colombo chief magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya issued the order Monday based on a police investigation of a complaint made by the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Sri Lanka's Central Bank.
The police reported to court that the Shalika Foundation had opened an account at a private bank in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo on Jan. 28 and six days later, that account received USD 19,999,977.50. The bank alerted the Bangladesh Central Bank about the remittance and returned the money.
Police said the foundation was set up to help low-income families. The address of its office appears to be a closed-up house in Colombo, and the foundation has no other known contact information.
In addition to the stolen funds remitted to Sri Lanka, USD 81 million was transferred to the Philippines. Bangladesh Central Bank Governor Atiur Rahman resigned last week, and Bangladesh authorities have said they were considering suing the Reserve Bank over the loss of the funds.
However, the Federal Bank said it found no evidence its own systems were compromised, and attention increasingly has focused on suspected vulnerabilities in Bangladesh bank's cybersecurity.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Mar 23 2016 | 7:03 PM IST

Next Story