Ex-strongman Rajapaksa’s son arrested in Lanka

Former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s 27-year-old son was arrested on Saturday along with four other people over money laundering allegations. Yoshitha Rajapaksa, the second son of ex-strongman Rajapaksa, was arrested and quizzed on Saturday morning by the police’s Financial Crimes Division (FCID) at the Sri Lankan Navy headquarters, a navy spokesman said. He and four others have been arrested on money laundering allegations, police said in a statement. All the five accused were produced in the Kaduwela Magistrate Court and remanded into judicial custody till February 13. Former President Rajapaksa was also present in court. Yoshitha, who is a navy officer, is the first immediate family member of former President Rajapaksa to be arrested since his shock defeat at the hands of Maithripala Sirisena in the polls last year.