COLOMBO – Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa escaped to the Maldives early Wednesday, hours before he was scheduled to resign from the office due to mounting public against ruling Rajapaksa family over worst economic crisis in the Island nation.
Following his escape, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe declared a state of emergency in the country as the acting president.
The embattled president officially announced at the weekend that he will step down on Wednesday (July 13) and clear the way for transition as the election for new president is scheduled to be held on July 20.
Rajapaksa, who took refuge at the Trincomalee naval base after fleeing the presidential palace on July 9 after protesters stormed his residence, was accompanied by his wife and a bodyguard on an Antonov-32 military aircraft.
Despite enjoying immunity from being arrested, he fled the country due to fears of his detention following the change in the power corridors.
Reports said that Rajapaksa was shifted to undisclosed location under police escort after he reached the Maldives.
Earlier, attempts by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and 15 of his close family and aides to leave the country in chaos have failed due to procedural issues.
A representative from the country’s aviation department has confirmed that Rajapaksa and his delegation were initially due to travel on Sri Lankan Airlines flight UL225 to Dubai, but immigration officers insisted that all members of the president’s close family and aides turn up at the immigration counter at Bandaranaike airport to get their passports stamped.
Security considerations are preventing the president and his close family from appearing at the public immigration counters, police and airport security officials have told this outlet.
Ex-finance minister Basil Rajapaksa stopped from fleeing Sri Lanka as economic crisis deepens
