Ex-President Gotabaya’s foreign trips not at State cost: Govt.

• Info Dept. issues clarification after Bandula justifies expenses on ex-President

Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa

The Government last night said that the recent foreign trips of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa weren’t at the expense of the State but by his private funds.

An announcement to this effect was issued by the Government Information Director General Mohan Samaranayake.

It alluded to remarks by Cabinet Co-Spokesman and Minister Bandula Gunawardena yesterday morning that former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is entitled to use public funds but Samaranayake clarified whilst former President’s enjoy certain privileges the recent trips by Rajapaksa was self-funded.  

“It is true that former President Rajapaksa took a private plane to fly to Bangkok last week. All former Presidents are entitled to certain perks and privileges as per the law,” Gunawardena said in response to a query by journalists at the post-Cabinet meeting media briefing yesterday.

There were reports alleging that the bill for the Rajapaksa’s stay in the Singapore hotel was alone Rs. 65 million.

Gunawardena also said that as per the President's Entitlements Act, former President Rajapaksa is getting provisions for official transport and other facilities.

 “Even late President R. Premadasa’s wife, as the widow of such a former President, is still receiving those provisions,” he said.

On 13 July, President Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives, and the following day he flew to Singapore from where he announced his resignation and has been in the country to date. He landed in Bangkok last week.