Yoshitha Rajapaksa, the second son of former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, was arrested on corruption charges on Saturday. His arrest follows a decision by the Attorney General after investigators determined there was sufficient evidence to charge him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act No. 5 of 2006. Local media reports suggest the charges are related to his ownership of a property in Sirimal Place, Ratmalana, valued at Rs. 34 million, which was acquired during his father’s presidency prior to 2015.
Yoshitha Rajapaksa had recently appeared before the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to provide a statement regarding this property. His uncle, former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, was also questioned last week about the same asset. The arrest forms part of a wider effort to address corruption linked to the Rajapaksa family’s long-standing political influence, particularly during Mahinda Rajapaksa’s presidency from 2005 to 2015.
The investigation is being driven by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s administration, which made a commitment to tackle corruption as part of its election platform. Following his election, the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID), initially active from 2015 to 2019, filed charges against various members of the Rajapaksa family but was dissolved in 2019. In a recent parliamentary announcement, Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala confirmed that the FCID will resume its operations to continue pursuing these cases.
The arrest also aligns with President Dissanayake’s ongoing anti-corruption campaign, as highlighted in his recent statement for International Anti-Corruption Day 2024. Dissanayake criticized the country’s decline in international corruption rankings, which dropped from 79th in 2013 to 115th in 2023. He urged the public to reflect on the effectiveness of Sri Lanka’s existing anti-corruption mechanisms.
The charges and investigations come in the wake of a severe economic crisis under Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s presidency, which culminated in his resignation in 2022 following widespread protests. This political turbulence has intensified calls for greater accountability and reform within Sri Lanka’s leadership.
Sources:
- Sri Lankan media reports on Yoshitha Rajapaksa’s arrest
- Official statements from President Dissanayake and Minister Ananda Wijepala
| Sri Lankan Old Parliament Building, Colombo by Rehman Abubakr on Wikipedia CC-BY-SA-4.0 |
