Ousted Sri Lanka leader Gotabaya Rajapaksa faces arrest calls after return

Deposed Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa faced calls for his arrest on Saturday (Sep 3) after returning home from self-imposed exile under the protection of his successor’s government.

Rajapaksa fled the island nation under military escort in July after a huge crowd stormed his official residence following months of angry demonstrations against his government.

The 73-year-old announced his resignation from Singapore and spent weeks under virtual house arrest at a Bangkok hotel lobbying his successor to allow his return.

Leaders of the protest campaign that toppled his government said Rajapaksa, who lost his presidential immunity after leaving office, should now be brought to justice.

Rajapaksa’s government was accused of chaotic mismanagement as the Sri Lankan economy spiraled into an unprecedented downturn.

The crisis saw acute shortages of food, lengthy blackouts, and long queues at gas stations for scarce fuel supplies after the country ran out of foreign currency to pay for vital imports.

Sri Lanka’s main opposition alliance, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), has yet to comment on Rajapaksa’s return, but a former minister from the bloc said the ousted leader needed to be prosecuted.

“Gotabaya must be held to account for his crimes before and during his presidency,” Ajith Perera told reporters in Colombo.

A Sri Lanka government spokesman and the president’s office did not immediately reply to emails seeking comment on Rajapaksa’s return.

Agencies