Sri Lanka’s Opposition demands ex-president Rajapaksa must be tried for ‘misusing funds’

International

oi-PTI

Colombo,
Aug
21:
Sri
Lanka’s
former
president
Gotabaya
Rajapaksa
has
the
right
to
return
to
the
country,
but
he
must
be
tried
for
allegations
of
misuse
of
funds
since
he
does
not
enjoy
legal
immunity,
main
Opposition
party
Samagi
Jana
Balawegaya
has
said.

Rajapaksa,
73,
fled
the
country
and
resigned
last
month
in
the
face
of
a
popular
uprising
against
his
government
for
mismanaging
the
island
nation’s
economy.

“Gotabaya
Rajapaksa
is
a
citizen
of
this
country
and
he
has
the
right
to
return
to
his
motherland.
No
one
can
deny
this
right.
However,
he
should
be
tried
for
the
allegations
of
misuse
of
funds,”
Samagi
Jana
Balawegaya
(SJB)
CEO
Ajith
P
Perera
was
quoted
as
saying
by
the
Daily
Mirror
newspaper.

Gotabaya
Rajapaksa
to
return
to
Sri
Lanka
on
August
24,
says
his
cousin

The
Sri
Lanka’s
Constitution
allows
privileges
to
former
presidents,
including
personal
security
and
an
office
with
staff.

“There
was
a
case
against
him
for
allegedly
spending
state
funds
for
his
parent’s
monument.
It
is
possible
to
make
him
face
the
trials
and
penalise
him
if
is
found
guilty,
as
he
does
not
enjoy
a
legal
immunity
as
per
the
constitution,”
Perera
said
while
addressing
the
media
on
Friday.

SJB
has
accused
Rajapaksa’s
government
of
misusing
the
USD
1
billion
loan
facility
extended
by
India
as
part
of
its
financial
assistance
to
help
the
cash-strapped
island
nation
deal
with
its
unprecedented
economic
crisis.

According
to
a
media
report
on
Thursday,
Rajapaksa
may
apply
for
a
US
Green
Card
as
he
was
eligible
to
apply
due
to
his
wife
Loma
Rajapaksa
being
a
US
citizen.

In
2019,
Rajapaksa
renounced
his
US
citizenship
to
contest
the
2019
presidential
polls.

Veteran
politician
Ranil
Wickremesinghe
was
elected
the
stop-gap
President
for
the
balance
of
Rajapaksa’s
term
until
November
2024.

Wickremesinghe
is
now
tasked
with
resurrecting
the
island’s
ailing
economy
hit
by
a
balance
of
payment
and
a
forex
crisis.

China
not
allowed
to
use
Hambantota
Port
for
military
purposes:
Sri
Lankan
President

Sri
Lanka
is
in
the
midst
of
an
unprecedented
economic
crisis
that
has
led
to
severe
shortages
of
fuel
and
other
essentials.

The
island
nation
of
22
million
needs
about
USD
5
billion
in
the
next
six
months
to
cover
basic
necessities
for
its
citizens,
who
have
been
struggling
with
long
queues,
worsening
shortages
of
essentials
and
frequent
power
cuts.