Sri Lanka arrests Rajapaksa party chief over alleged death threat

Sri Lankan police have arrested Sagara Kariyawasam, the General-Secretary of the Sri Lanka Podujana Party (SLPP), on Monday for allegedly issuing a death threat against the police chief, according to officers. This marks a series of arrests targeting associates of the powerful Rajapaksa political dynasty. The arrest comes as the leftist government of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake pledges to combat bribery and corruption, which President Dissanayake himself came into power in September 2024.

Kariyawasam made a warning during a press conference in Colombo last week, stating that Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasooriya could face death if he remained biased. "Weerasooriya considers this a death threat," stated a police source. Kariyawasam was subsequently arrested after recording a statement and is now under custody to be presented before a magistrate.

Meanwhile, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, 80, is under scrutiny for alleged kickbacks received from Airbus in the scrapped aircraft purchase deal. His three children, wife, two brothers, and several nephews and nieces are currently facing charges of money-laundering and misappropriation of state funds.