COLOMBO, (Reuters) – Sri Lanka’s Marxist opposition filed a corruption complaint yesterday against former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his relatives and asked the anti-graft body to prevent them from leaving the country.
Rajapaska was defeated in an election on Thursday after a campaign that focused on misuse of public funds, and on his powers and those of his family members, many of whom held public office during his decade in power.
Having lost his presidential immunity along with his bid for a third term, Rajapaska has also been asked to appear in court on a separate matter, a request that would have been unthinkable just a few days ago.
The Janatha Vimukthi Peremuna’s (JVP) complaint includes allegations that he mishandled state funds in his capacity as finance minister in an administration seen as rife with graft and nepotism.
