Former Sri Lankan President and war criminal Gotabaya Rajapaksa was interrogated by Sri Lanka's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Friday morning regarding a disputed property in Kathirgamam, located in the southern region of the island.
The questioning, which lasted nearly two hours, marks the first time since the new government under Anura Kumara Dissanayake took office in November where a prominent member of the Rajapaksa family has faced interrogation.
Rajapaksa, who reportedly entered the CID through a back gate, provided a statement concerning the ownership of a luxury bungalow in Kathirgamam. The property, located on Wanaraja Pedesa, Depot Road, has raised questions over its construction and ownership. According to reports, the bungalow was built using Army personnel as labour during Rajapaksa’s tenure in government, raising concerns about the misuse of state resources.
The former president has previously denied owning property in Sri Lanka, aside from his wife’s residence in Udahamulla. However, reports from Colombo Telegraph allege that Rajapaksa’s name is linked to the Kathirgamam bungalow, which is said to provide direct access to the Menik Ganga river.
This interrogation comes amid broader investigations into the Rajapaksa family’s alleged misuse of power by the current Sri Lankan government. Earlier this month, Yoshitha Rajapaksa, son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, was summoned by the CID regarding a government-owned plot of land in Kathirgamam. These developments follow widespread calls for accountability after the Rajapaksa family’s extended hold on Sri Lanka’s political and economic systems culminated in public protests and their eventual ousting from power in 2022.
The Rajapaksa family has been a dominant force in Sri Lankan politics for decades, with members holding key positions in government and wielding significant influence over the military and state apparatus. Alongside overseeing the genocide of tens of thousands of Tamils, this concentration of power has often been criticized for enabling corruption and the misuse of state resources.
The luxury bungalow in Kathirgamam and allegations of forced labor highlight long-standing issues of governance and accountability. For many particularly Eelam Tamils in the North-East, these investigations serve as a reminder of unresolved grievances tied to the Rajapaksa regime, including genocide, war crimes and systemic discrimination.