COLOMBO: Basil Rajapaksa, a brother of former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa and a former minister, was arrested on Wednesday on a charge of siphoning off money from a state-run housing scheme.

Rajapaksa had returned from the United States only on Tuesday. He fled to that country after the defeat of his brother in the Jan 8 presidential election.

But he complied with a summons by police a few days ago to appear in cases of corruption. But as soon as he arrived at a police office on Wednesday to record his statement, he was taken into custody.

Lalith Weeratunge, a former secretary to the president, was also questioned on Wednesday, but in another case.

Gotabaya, Rajapaksa’s other brother and a former defence secretary, is to appear before a commission investigating corruption cases against him on Thursday. Mahinda Rajapaksa, the former president, will record his statement at his house.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play