NMRA Missing Files #DataScam ; Find That Person

COLOMBO (News 1st); Ruling party members have accepted that a total of 5,623 files of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority placed in the Lanka Government Cloud, have disappeared. On the 09th of August, it was reported that multiple files of the NMRA stored in the Lanka Government Cloud, had mysteriously disappeared. A criminal inquiry is also underway into the disappearance of these files, led by the Criminal Investigations Department. On Friday (2), backbench members of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna visited the NMRA premises on a fact-finding mission. MP Sanjeewa Edirimanne who led the fact-finding mission said it was observed that no proper mechanism was in place to secure the data and no consideration was given to maintain a backup system. MP Jayantha Weerasinghe PC, said the 5000+ missing files are supporting documents produced by NMRA clients and assured that files related to the COVID-19 vaccine were not deleted. MP Wasantha Yapa Bandara noted that the government is the victim in this incident and those who created the data system and its components should be held criminally accountable for the disappearance of files, which is now dubbed as the #DataScam. MP Kokila Jayawardena stressed the government is prepared to impose heavy penalties if it is found that the files were deleted on purpose. Interestingly, according to MP Jayawardena the NMRA had gone into manual recording of data, while a digital application existed for the purpose of securing files. However, activists have slammed the ruling party MPs for visiting the NMRA premises while a criminal inquiry is taking place. 'This is an attempt to cover-up a crime,' said Saman Ratnapriya, the Chairman of the Government Nursing Officers Union. He said the disappearance of files paves the way for market control by any single company. Another activist, Ravi Kumudesh told reporters that the government is attempting to portray the #DataScam as something that is not serious. SJB MP Manusha Nanayakkara also slammed the government for attempting to deceive the people noting that whenever something is deleted, even from a mobile device, it remains in cloud storage and if one wants to permanently delete the files, one must give the command to delete from the cloud. 'Who gave the command. Find that person,' he said.