File Photo

COLOMBO, Jan 27, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - The son of Sri Lanka's former president 
Mahinda Rajapaksa was banned Monday from leaving the island nation following 
his arrest for alleged money laundering.

The case against Yoshitha Rajapaksa dates back years, but has received 
renewed impetus since President Anura Kumara Dissanayake -- who has vowed to 
fight endemic corruption -- won a landslide election victory.

Several members of the powerful Rajapaksa family and close associates have 
been charged with an array of offences over the years, including corruption 
and even murder -- all of which are still pending in the courts.

A former junior naval officer, Yoshitha Rajapaksa, 36, was hit with the 
travel ban after police said he was unable to explain the sources of income 
used to purchase a home while his father was in power from 2005 to 2015.

He was arrested and spent two days in detention before being released Monday 
by a magistrate in Colombo on a bond of 100 million rupees ($344,000).

Yoshitha had told investigators that he raised money to buy the property by 
selling a small bag of gems his grand-aunt had given him.

She was unable to recall how she acquired the precious stones when asked.

He was arrested in 2016 on a separate money laundering charge related to his 
purchase of a television network. Both cases have sat dormant for years.

His older brother Namal, a lawmaker in Sri Lanka's parliament, also faces 
separate money laundering charges which have not yet gone to trial.

Dissanayake came to power in September 2024 after pledging to expedite the 
pending criminal cases and bring back stolen assets allegedly stashed abroad.

Cabinet spokesman Nalinda Jayatissa told reporters in Colombo over the 
weekend that the new government was providing more resources to the criminal 
investigations department to speed up prosecution.

"This is not a political witch hunt, but people voted us in to ensure that 
these dragging cases are concluded," Jayatissa said.

Mahinda Rajapaksa's younger brother Gotabaya became president in 2019 but was 
forced out of office in 2022 after a popular revolt, sparked by a ruinous 
economic crisis.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa also faces corruption charges over military procurements 
when he was a top defence official during Mahinda's presidency at the tail 
end of Sri Lanka's civil war.