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Sri Lanka’s former president summoned over bribery allegations

Monday, 20 April 2015 9:24 AM [ Last Update: Monday, 20 April 2015 9:25 AM ]

Sri Lanka’s former President Mahinda Rajapaksa

Sri Lanka’s former President Mahinda Rajapakse has been asked to appear before the South Asian country’s anti-graft body over bribery allegations.

Sri Lanka’s Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption summoned the 69-year-old Rajapakse to present himself before the commission on Friday, April 24, sources said on Monday.

The anti-graft commission is reportedly investigating claims that Rajapakse paid a top member of the opposition to defect shortly before January's presidential election, in which he was beaten by incumbent Maithripala Sirisena.

Meanwhile, Rajapakse’s supporters have called on the parliament speaker, Chamal Rajapakse, who is the former president’s eldest brother, to halt the probe.

"If you are questioning a former president about his executive actions, then it is not something that we can accept," said the leader of Rajapakse's People's Alliance faction in the parliament, Nimal Siripala de Silva.

President Sirisena has recently ordered a series of investigations against Rajapakse's close allies into the allegations of corruption. However, it is the first time he is challenging the former strongman.

This comes as Rajapakse's younger brother, Gotabhaya, who served as defense secretary under his brother, is also summoned to be questioned by the commission on Wednesday over unrelated corruption claims.

A court has already imposed a travel ban on Gotabhaya while an arrest warrant has been issued for another brother, Basil, who served as economic development secretary during his brother’s tenure and fled the island nation soon after this year’s election.

MSM/NN/HRB

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