Gotabaya Rajapaksa extends stay at Singapore; Authorities in Singapore unable to confirm

Colombo, Jul 27: Sri Lanka's Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has extended his stay in Singapore for another 14 days. Rajapaksa was issued a 14-day visit pass when he arrived at the Changi Airport in Singapore from the Maldives on Jul 14.

 

 

 

 

The 14-day pass issued to Former Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to the city-state, after the extension, will now expire on Aug 11. Sri Lanka's cabinet spokesman Bandula Gunawardena said on Tuesday (Jul 26) at a press conference in Colombo that Rajapaksa is expected to return to the country from Singapore. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority in Singapore did not respond to a request for confirmation on the extension of stay.

 

 

 

 

 

The Former President who sledged the nation initially stayed at a hotel in the city centre but is believed to have moved to a private residence. Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Jul 14 that Rajapaksa had not asked for asylum and neither had he been granted any asylum. Singapore generally does not grant requests for asylum, the Ministry added.

 

Sri Lanka's Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena announced the official resignation of Rajapaksa on Jul 15. 73-year-old Gotabaya Rajapaksa had gone into hiding after crowds of protesters stormed his residence on July 9.