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Wednesday, October 14 2026
Wednesday, October 14 2026
MONETABRIEF – The Colombo Fort magistrate issued a fresh warrant for the arrest of former minister Basil Rajapaksa clearing the way for his arrest abroad and repatriation to face corruption charges at home.
Rajapaksa, 75, held the powerful economic development portfolio under his brother, president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was toppled in a peaceful uprising in July 2022.
Basil, regarded as the political ideologue of the once-powerful Rajapaksa family, has remained in the US, where he is also a dual citizen, and has failed to appear in court.
The BBC has described Basil as “Mr. 10 Percent” for allegedly taking commissions from state contracts when his elder brother Mahinda was president. He has denied any wrong doing, but he is facing prosecution for bribery and corruption relating to his tenure under both Gotabaya and his elder brother Mahinda, who was president for a decade until January 2015.
Colombo Fort Magistrate Pasan Amarasena on Wednesday issued a fresh arrest warrant and directed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to seek assistance from the France-based Interpol to obtain a Red Notice against him.
An Interpol Red Notice is a request to law enforcement agencies in member states to locate and provisionally arrest a suspect pending extradition.
There are two other arrest warrants for Basil Rajapaksa in unrelated corruption cases in which he is the main accused.
"The magistrate ordered that the warrant be issued in English too so that the CID could initiate action with Interpol to secure a Red Notice," a court official said.
The move is the latest in an ongoing crackdown by the new administration of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who has pledged to tackle endemic corruption.
Gotabaya is currently subject to a travel ban after being accused of involvement in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, which killed 279 people, including 45 foreigners.
Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s wife Shiranthi is in remand custody, charged with syphoning off state funds meant for a children’s cancer hospital.
Their eldest son, Namal, an opposition legislator, is also in remand custody over allegations that he took kickbacks from a $2.3 billion Airbus aircraft purchase deal in 2013.
Several other members of the Rajapaksa family are either facing prosecution or under investigation with President Dissanayake vowing to step up a campaign against corruption. (Colombo/Oct14/2026)
| 3 month bill | 9.26% | 1bp ▲ |
| 12-m bill | 9.95% | 2bp - |
| Gold (Ounce) | $4187 | - ▼ |
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