COLOMBO, Feb 18: Namal Rajapaksa, the eldest son of former president and prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, was indicted on Tuesday and released on bail by the High Court for alleged misappropriation related to an Indian investment prior to 2015.
Namal Rajapaksa, the leader of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), is currently the only serving member of the Rajapaksa family in parliament.
The Rajapaksa family contends they are victims of a politically motivated witch hunt.
The case is scheduled for its next hearing on March 27.
In June 2016, Namal Rajapaksa was arrested for allegedly misusing 70 million Sri Lankan Rupees from the Krrish Hotel project to promote rugby in Sri Lanka, where he had previously played at the international level.
The Krrish Hotel project, situated in Colombo’s commercial center, was abandoned, and its construction remains incomplete.
Following the revival of the Krrish case by the new NPP government—stalled since 2016—Namal Rajapaksa was interrogated by the police.
A week later, his younger brother Yoshitha was also arrested in connection with a similar property case that was reopened.
Yoshitha Rajapaksa is facing indictment regarding this case as well.
The NPP government has pledged to revive all pending cases to ensure justice, a move that the Rajapaksas describe as a politically charged witch hunt. (PTI)
