First member of Lanka's Rajapaksa family arrested in anti-graft case under NPP rule

Colombo, Aug 6 (PTI) Shasheendra Rajapaksa was on Wednesday arrested in an anti-corruption case, making it the first such arrest from Sri Lanka's powerful political dynasties of Rajapaksa under the current NPP government's anti-graft crusade.
     Shasheendra is accused of misappropriating state-owned land in the southeastern region of the island nation.
     He is charged with illegal construction, which when suffered an arson attack in May 2022 public protests, he used his political authority to pay compensation. This was despite officials showing reluctance to pay citing the plot still belonged to the state.
     Shasheendra, the son of Chamal Rajapaksa, the eldest of the Rajapaksa brothers, was arrested by the anti graft commission and produced before Colombo chief magistrate’s court.
     He was remanded in custody till August 19.
     Rajapaksas are one of the powerful political dynasties in Sri Lanka and have ruled at the Centre for over two decades since the country's independence.
     The ruling National People's Power (NPP) has arrested several former ministers of the past government as part of its anti-graft crusade. Two of them have received a 25-year-sentence.
     Chamal Rajapaksa, elder brother of the former presidents Mahinda and Gotabaya Rajapaksa, was the parliamentary speaker between 2010 to 2015.
     Shasheendra was a minister of state until September last year having previously been the chief minister of the south eastern province.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)