Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath says Sri Lanka’s former Deputy High Commissioner to Australia Himalee Arunatilaka has not engaged in any financial fraud or corruption, despite an Australian Court charging her over an incident related to unpaid wages to a female domestic help.
Addressing the media today, Minister Herath said as per the Sri Lankan protocol, those employed in overseas diplomatic missions are allowed a certain number of assistants or domestic workers to help with their daily activities.
He further said that the domestic worker in question under the care of Himalee Arunatilaka had also been taken to Australia in adherence to the said state protocol.
The Foreign Minister explained that the salaries of the assistants and domestic workers are paid by the Sri Lankan Government, and not from the personal funds of the officials and that the salaries are offered based on Sri Lanka’s economic situation.
“This is a problematic situation, as the salaries offered by Sri Lanka are less than that offered by other foreign countries, such as Australia, Europe, and Australia. Our rates are lower than the wages offered by these countries. This is so as our rates are based on our country’s economic state,” he explained.
Minister Vijitha Herath pointed out the salary issue has arisen due to this situation, clarifying that Himalee Arunatilaka had only followed the salary payments done by the Sri Lankan Government per the country’s rates.
He said, however, the Australian Government has initiated legal action against Himalee Arunatilaka under their wages system, an issue that has been faced by Sri Lankan diplomats working in overseas missions in the past.
Emphasizing that Himalee Arunatilaka has not committed any fraud or financial corruption, the Foreign Minister said action has been taken per Australia’s laws.
Minister Vijitha Herath went on to note that this incident has highlighted the need for the Sri Lankan Government to take a policy decision regarding such matters.
“The government will take a policy decision in this regard in the future. We regret that Himalee Arunatilaka had to face such a situation due to state protocol,” he added.
In August, a Federal Court in Australia ordered Arunatilaka to pay her former employee $374,000 in unpaid wages, plus another $169,000 in interest. Last week, the court imposed a further penalty of $117,000 to deter similar behaviour from diplomats.
It was reported that Arunatilaka paid the said domestic worker less than 90 cents a day for three years in Canberra. Priyanka Danaratna came to Canberra in 2015 from Sri Lanka to work as a domestic servant for Arunatilaka, until she escaped in 2018.
The court was informed that Danaratna worked seven days a week from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm for roughly three years, only taking two days off over that time when she burned her hand cooking at the residence.
Himalee Arunatilaka has left Australia and is now the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations Office in Geneva. (Newswire)