Shasheendra Rajapaksa Arrested in Sri Lanka's Anti-Corruption Move

Colombo, Aug 6 (PTI) In a significant move under the current NPP government's anti-corruption campaign, Shasheendra Rajapaksa was arrested on Wednesday, marking the first such instance involving Sri Lanka's influential Rajapaksa political dynasty. Shasheendra is facing allegations related to the misappropriation of state-owned land situated in the island's southeastern region.

The charges against him include illegal construction, which later suffered an arson attack during public protests in May 2022. Despite officials resisting the payment of compensation, citing the land's state ownership, he allegedly leveraged his political influence to secure compensation.

Shasheendra, the son of Chamal Rajapaksa—eldest among the Rajapaksa brothers—was detained by the anti-corruption commission and subsequently presented before Colombo's chief magistrate’s court. He has been remanded in custody until August 19.

The Rajapaksa family has been one of Sri Lanka's most powerful political forces, holding authority at the national level for over two decades since the country's independence. Under the NPP's governance, several former ministers of past administrations have been apprehended as part of the anti-graft initiative, with two receiving 25-year sentences.

Chamal Rajapaksa, elder brother to former presidents Mahinda and Gotabaya Rajapaksa, served as parliamentary speaker from 2010 to 2015. Shasheendra himself was a state minister until September of last year, with a prior stint as the chief minister of the southeastern province.

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