-By LeN Diplomatic Correspondent
(Lanka-e-News -24.July.2025, 11.15 PM) Concerns are mounting within Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs as whistleblowers from within the ministry have leveled a barrage of allegations against the country’s Consul General in Melbourne, Pradeepa Seram, accusing her of misconduct, misuse of public funds, and systematic intimidation of staff.
In a confidential letter now leaked to the media, several senior Foreign Ministry officials claim that Seram — a controversial political appointee with long-standing ties to multiple administrations — has turned the Melbourne consulate into her personal fiefdom, engaging in lavish expenditures, unethical practices, and the calculated suppression of professional dissent.
The dossier reads more like a charge sheet than a formal complaint. What follows are the key allegations which now threaten to further erode public trust in Sri Lanka’s overseas diplomatic corps:
Shortly after her arrival in Melbourne, Seram is said to have rented a luxury property far exceeding the official rent ceiling — paying over AUD 6,000 per month from public funds. This was allegedly approved in contravention of ministry guidelines.
All furnishings for the residence were reportedly purchased anew, despite the availability of government-provided furniture used by her predecessors. In an act described by insiders as “arbitrary and wasteful”, Seram allegedly ordered the disposal of four outgoing officers’ fully functional furniture sets as “hard rubbish”. The loss — in purchase, disposal, and replacement — is estimated to run into tens of millions of Sri Lankan rupees.
According to the report, within weeks of her posting, Seram acquired an expensive smartphone, a bespoke leather chair, and a new desktop computer, all paid for by the Sri Lankan taxpayer. This, despite the consulate already having serviceable equipment in excellent condition, now left unused and stacked away.
Furthermore, Seram is accused of lobbying for an ultra-luxury diesel-powered SUV with maintenance costs well above standard government allocations — in an era where diplomatic missions globally are shifting toward sustainable EVs and hybrids.
“The value of this vehicle exceeds AUD 100,000,” one official familiar with the procurement files revealed. “It’s a symbol of indulgence rather than necessity.”
Despite the challenges faced by Sri Lankans in Australia in accessing consular services, Seram has allegedly prioritised aesthetics over service delivery. Plans are underway, it is claimed, to rent a completely new office space, citing vague “architectural reasons” — a move deemed unnecessary and economically reckless given Melbourne’s soaring commercial real estate costs.
Three out of five consulate staff have allegedly been reassigned to perform personal tasks for Seram. This includes cleaning her private residence, assisting with furniture shopping, escorting her to salons and markets during official hours, and even preparing her personal toilet before each use.
A receptionist and a female aide, according to the report, are routinely instructed to accompany her to the Victoria Market or help with household chores — all under the guise of diplomatic work.
Perhaps more worrying are claims of a culture of fear and suppression within the consulate. A senior officer, who had reportedly worked alone from September 2024 to March 2025 to maintain services, has allegedly been sidelined by Seram. She is said to routinely threaten junior staff with transfers back to Colombo should they fail to comply with her personal demands.
In one incident, a staff member — assigned exclusively for her personal errands — was allegedly made to illegally cut down two trees at her residence, provoking complaints from the landlord and threats of city council penalties.
Though expected to build bridges with the Sri Lankan diaspora in Victoria, Seram is reported to have alienated most of the community, choosing instead to engage only with a select group of politically loyal supporters. She has allegedly blocked the participation of other diplomatic officials at key cultural and civic events, refusing to meet community leaders or civil society groups.
“It’s easier to meet the Governor of Victoria than this Consul General,” one frustrated community organiser said.
Investigations are further complicated by allegations that Seram secured approvals for several of her excesses before even arriving in Melbourne — leveraging her influence as an Additional Secretary in Colombo. Sources claim she pre-arranged approvals for a luxury vehicle supposedly intended for a diplomatic post in Indonesia, only for that vehicle to be diverted for her eventual Melbourne posting.
It is also alleged that a group of officials within the Foreign Ministry, aligned with Seram, continue to protect and facilitate her actions, including a so-called “fixer” named Sunil Silva — described by ministry insiders as “her longtime enabler”.
Ministry staff who have spoken to this newspaper on condition of anonymity have called for an independent inquiry into Seram’s conduct and the “network of protection” surrounding her in Colombo.
“We are witnessing a grotesque abuse of diplomatic privilege,” one official stated. “This is not just an embarrassment — it’s a mockery of public service.”
In a surreal twist, it has emerged that a junior staff member at the consulate, believed to have leaked internal documents to the press, has been abruptly recalled to Colombo by the Foreign Secretary — widely seen as a desperate attempt to control the narrative.
Many within the ministry believe the recall was orchestrated not to maintain protocol, but to protect Seram from further scrutiny — a protection, they allege, that stems from her political proximity to former administrations and her role in backdoor appointments during the Ranil Wickremesinghe era.
As outrage simmers both in Melbourne and Colombo, diplomatic observers say the government has little choice but to act.
“This is a moment of truth,” said a senior retired ambassador. “If these allegations are ignored, it will set a precedent that Sri Lanka’s overseas missions are playgrounds for political appointees to loot, intimidate, and misrepresent the state.”
The Foreign Ministry has yet to officially respond to the allegations. However, civil society groups in both countries are already mobilising, with Transparency International and Sri Lanka’s Parliamentary Committee on Public Finance expected to take up the issue in the coming weeks.
For now, all eyes remain on Melbourne — and the woman at the centre of one of the most brazen diplomatic scandals in recent memory.
---------------------------
by (2025-07-24 18:13:24)
Read 15408 Times
Leave a Reply
0 discussion on this news