Sri Lanka’s government preparing to bring back 2 billion US dollars stashed in Dubai bank

March, 19, 2015

It has been revealed that there are three accounts at the Dubai National Bank with over USD 02 billion worth of assets belonging to Sri Lankans and the government has handed over the task of getting them back to Sri Lanka to the relevant US and Indian authorities, said Cabinet spokesman and Health & Indigenous Medicine Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne.

During the media briefing today (19 March) to convey Cabinet decisions, Minister Senaratne said that it has been revealed that certain Sri Lankans have thus taken assets worth over USD 10 billion away from the country and that this amount was more than the country’s foreign reserves.

A part of the money deposited at the Dubai National Bank has been withdrawn after the recent Presidential election and may have been taken away to some other country, added Minister Senaratne.

Meanwhile, the government has set up a special Presidential task force to bring back to Sri Lanka such assets taken overseas from the country.