Yoshitha Rajapaksa, the second son of former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, was arrested on Saturday by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Beliatta, Sri Lanka. The arrest, executed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, pertains to allegations of illegal asset acquisition linked to a disputed property in Kataragama.
This development follows a recent CID investigation into the contentious land deal. Yoshitha, a former navy officer, is expected to be produced in court later today.
Notably, his uncle, former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, was questioned by police last week regarding the same property—a holiday home in the southern religious resort of Kataragama.
This arrest coincides with Mahinda Rajapaksa’s recent fundamental rights petition filed in the Supreme Court, seeking intervention to reinstate his security detail, which was significantly reduced by the government last month.
Since the establishment of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s government in November last year, there has been a renewed focus on addressing alleged wrongdoings during Mahinda Rajapaksa’s presidency from 2005 to 2015. Earlier, Mahinda’s eldest son and legislator, Namal Rajapaksa, was also questioned by police over a separate property case.
The current administration had pledged to prosecute individuals accused of corruption during the previous Rajapaksa administration, leading to heightened scrutiny of the former first family’s activities.
For more details, you can watch the following video:
Yoshitha Rajapaksa arrested!
Recently in an intw with Daily Mirror Yoshitha Rajapaksa said he is the victim of a political witch hunt again. pic.twitter.com/cFposq4efd
— Jamila Husain (@Jamz5251) January 25, 2025
