Gotabaya Flees Like A Fugitive; Basil Too Gone? Rest of Rajapaksas in Sri Lanka at People’s Mercy

Unbelievable things happen during a crisis. The once all-powerful-executive President of Sri Lanka Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa has fled the island nation, which he ruled and ruined with an iron fist, like a fugitive.

After the immigration staff refused to stamp his and his wife’s passport at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo on Tuesday, he managed to board a military aircraft and landed in neighbouring Maldives.

According to sources in Colombo, his final destination is the United States of America via United Arab Emirates. They claim the Speaker of Maldivian Parliament Mohammed Nasheed has facilitated this “escape” to pay back some old “debts”. He forced President Solih to give a safe passage to the fleeing President of its closer neighbour and friend.

Gotabaya did not see this coming. When he had a chance to gracefully resign from his Presidency in early April, he refused to give up.

He used every trick in the book to save his chair, even sacrificing his elder brother, family headman and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.

But the worsening economic crisis and the pressure, including a possible threat to his life, forced Gotabaya to give in.

Once hailed as a hero of the Tamil civil war and credited with handling the first wave of Covid-19 efficiently, Gotabaya left the beautiful Indian island nation like a proclaimed offender.

His younger brother and former finance minister Basil Rajapaksa, who is a dual citizen with an American passport, might have also fled after his initial attempts at fleeing through Colombo airport were foiled by the immigration staff. However, there is no confirmation on his whereabouts, although a majority believe he has left the country.

The former President and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and his son MP Namal are still in the country. Their passports have been impounded and they are facing embezzlement cases at various courts in the country. According to reports, they are at their residence in Colombo.

Since the anger was mainly against Gotabaya and Basil, the father-son duo is relatively safer and they have saved themselves by resigning early.

The eldest in the family and former defence minister Chamal Rajapaksa, who is the least controversial among all brothers, is also in the country.

Unconfirmed reports claim many other Rajapaksa family members, including wife and son of Namal, have left Sri Lanka.

Some have shifted to neighbouring Maldives waiting for the situation back home to get better.

Many hold dual citizenship of either the US or United Kingdom.

They feel that once there is a legitimate government, there will be no threat to their lives and properties. They also know that legal procedures will drag on for years giving them enough time to make future plans.

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