Son of Former Sri Lankan President Arrested on Corruption Charges

The son of former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa was arrested on Wednesday on corruption charges, the latest case targeting the once hugely influential political clan. Yoshitha Rajapaksa, 38, is accused of misusing state funds for overseas training during his career as a naval officer. Sri Lanka’s Anti-Corruption Commission said he was being investigated for being promoted without the necessary qualifications and travelling to Britain for government-funded officer training. He was already a suspect in two money laundering cases and subject to a foreign travel ban, and 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 said in a statement, as reported by AFP news agency. Yoshitha Rajapaksa had attended a prestigious course at Dartmouth, the British naval academy. His father, Mahinda Rajapaksa, was president of Sri Lanka at the time. Critics say his attendance at Dartmouth unfairly took the place of a naval cadet who had earned the spot on merit. Cases against the Rajapaksa family have gained fresh momentum since President Anura Kumara Dissanayake won the 2024 presidential election on a platform pledging to eradicate corruption. Several members of the Rajapaksa family and close associates have been indicted on various offences over the years, including corruption and even murder, all of which are still pending trial. Yoshitha Rajapaksa is also facing criminal charges after failing to explain the source of income used to purchase a house while his father was in power from 2005 to 2015. He told investigators he raised the money by selling diamonds given to him by his great-aunt. However, the aunt could not recall how she obtained the precious stones. Yoshitha Rajapaksa also faces another case related to the purchase of his television network.