Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was forcibly removed from power in June of last year, has been given access to a brand-new, opulent villa on Stanmore Crescent that was sponsored by the State and is typically reserved for the Foreign Minister.
According to the statute governing the benefits and privileges of retired heads of state, past presidents of Sri Lanka are entitled to a house sponsored by the government. However, since Mr. Rajapaksa left office in the middle of his term due to the insurrection, the legislation is not clear regarding the allocation of such a facility to him.
The current foreign minister usually resides in the aforementioned luxurious home on Stanmore Crescent in Colombo 7. According to a reliable source, Mr. Rajapaksa was given this house with the approval of Foreign Minister Ali Sabry. The late foreign minister Mangala Samaraweera once lived there. The house had undergone substantial renovations, The Daily Mirror discovers, before being given to Gotabaya.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa was given a state mansion in Malalasekara Mawatha that was similarly well guarded shortly after he left from power in July of last year amid mounting resentment over his failure to control the economic crisis.
According to sources, Rajapaksa eventually left that home because the bungalow assigned to him was “too noisy” and because he had concerns about his security despite the large security team that had been stationed around him.
The following year, Rajapaksa relocated to his closely guarded Mirihana House and requested a new bungalow.
According to information, since Ali Sabry was not in charge at the time the former president’s fresh request was made, he gave his approval.
