Son of Former Sri Lankan President Arrested on Corruption Charges

The son of former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa was arrested on Wednesday (17/06) on corruption charges. This marks the latest case targeting the once highly influential political clan in Sri Lanka.

Thirty-eight-year-old Yoshitha Rajapaksa is accused of misappropriating state funds for overseas training during his career as a naval officer. The Sri Lankan Anti-Corruption Commission stated that he is under investigation for being promoted without the necessary qualifications and travelling to the United Kingdom for officer training funded by the government.

Previously, he was a suspect in two money laundering cases and had been subject to an overseas travel ban; he had been released on bail prior to his arrest on Wednesday.

“He was arrested on charges of aiding and abetting, in connection with his recruitment without minimum qualifications, and subsequently using state funds for overseas training,” the commission stated in a release, as reported by AFP news agency on Wednesday.

Yoshitha Rajapaksa attended prestigious courses at Dartmouth, a British naval academy. His father, Mahinda Rajapaksa, held the presidency of Sri Lanka at that time. Critics have alleged that his presence at Dartmouth unfairly took a place from a naval cadet who had earned their position based on merit.

Legal actions against the Rajapaksa family have gained new momentum since President Anura Kumara Dissanayake won the 2024 presidential election on a platform promising to eradicate corruption. Several members of the Rajapaksa family and their close associates have been indicted for various offences over the years, including corruption and even murder, all of which are currently awaiting trial.

Yoshitha Rajapaksa is also facing criminal charges after failing to explain the source of income used to purchase a house during his father’s tenure from 2005 to 2015. He told investigators that he raised the funds by selling diamonds given to him by a great-aunt; however, the great-aunt could not recall how she had acquired the precious stones. Yoshitha Rajapaksa also faces another case related to the purchase of his television network.