Colombo: Namal Rajapaksa, the elder son of former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, was on Wednesday ordered to remain in remand custody until September 23 in connection with a money laundering case.
Namal, who is already in remand custody, was produced before the Colombo Fort Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, in relation to the case.
The case relates to a probe into an alleged $800,000 corruption case linked to the purchase of wide-bodied Airbus aircraft for SriLankan Airlines during his father’s presidency.
Namal leads the opposition Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) in Parliament. Following his arrest on September 4 and his subsequent production before the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court, he had already been remanded until September 18 in that case.
However, on Wednesday, the court ordered that Namal be further remanded until September 23.
His arrest is the first remand of a member of the former first family since the National People’s Power government came to power two years ago.
Namal’s mother, Shiranthi, who was due to face the police’s Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) on September 24, had left for Singapore on Wednesday for medical treatment.
She was to be questioned over an alleged misdemeanour involving charity funds.
Up until her airport appearance for her flight, no notice for an FCID appearance had been served on her, the lawyer said.
Namal’s siblings have also faced allegations of wrongdoing, which the family has described as politically motivated. His cousin Shashindra Rajapaksa is currently out on bail after being remanded earlier this year.
