Sri Lanka crisis | Ex-Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa stopped from leaving country

Colombo Basil Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka’s former Finance Minister and younger brother of embattled Pres

Basil Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka’s former Finance Minister and younger brother of embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, was turned back at Colombo airport on July 12 as he attempted to leave the country through the VIP terminal, an immigration officer said, amid mounting anger against the powerful family for mishandling the worst economic crisis.

Mr. Basil Rajapaksa, 71, tried to leave the crisis-hit island nation, a day before Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena is expected to publicly announce President Rajapaksa’s resignation to the nation.

President Rajapaksa signed on July 11 his resignation letter, dated for July 1, and it was later handed over to a senior government official who will hand it over to the Parliament Speaker.

Mr. Basil Rajapaksa, a U.S. passport holder, resigned as Finance Minister in early April as street protests intensified against shortages of fuel, food and other necessities and quit his seat in parliament in June.

The Sri Lanka Immigration and Emigration Officers Association said its members declined to serve Mr. Basil Rajapaksa at the VIP terminal of Colombo airport.

“Due to the crisis situation in the country, it has been decided to withdraw from activities at the Silk Route/CIP passenger clearance activities until further notice,” the trade union said in a statement, according to Economy Next website.

“We decided to withdraw from serving the silk route passenger clearance terminal from mid night yesterday,” said K.A.S. Kanugala, the chairman of the association.