Lankan Prez Gotabaya, family stopped from leaving country

New Delhi, July 12

Immigration officials have foiled attempts by the Rajapaksa family to flee Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who had been holed up at the Trincomalee naval base after fleeing the presidential palace on July 9, flew to an airbase near Colombo and then sought to leave for Dubai by a Sri Lankan Airlines flight.

US refuses visa to Prez

• The US has refused visa to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa; his son, daughter-in-law and grandchild are US citizens and live there
• At the time when it appeared that the Rajapaksa family might hang on, the US had given visa to his younger brother Basil
• Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has signed his resignation letter, dated for July 13

He tried this option after the Indian government did not respond to his plea to land in the country by a military flight, the Sri Lanka media has reported.

Oppn leader Sajith Premadasa ready to run for presidency

However, immigration officers refused to stamp the passports of the Rajapaksa family and insisted that all members of the President’s entourage, including his close family and aides, should be present at the immigration counter of Bandaranaike airport.

As the Rajapaksa family members fear popular ire may lead to violence against them if they showed up in public, the entire entourage did not appear at the public immigration counters, the police and airport security officials told the media.

Sri Lanka immigration officers have withdrawn from duty and effectively closed down the only incognito route for the Rajapaksa family to leave the country by “the Silk Route” departure terminal that also doubles up as the VVIP lounge at the Colombo airport.

Another Rajapaksa scion Basil, who was instrumental in running the economy into the ground as Finance Minister, faced resentment against his family when immigration officials withdrew from duty as soon as he arrived at the Silk Route departure terminal.