Namal defends brother, slams govt over ‘media spectacles’
January 27, 2025 11:37 am
Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa, the eldest son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, challenged the government to prove in court if either he or his brother Yoshitha Rajapaksa have committed any wrongdoing, instead of resorting to various “spectacles for media.”
Rajapaksa accused the government of targeting his family members rather than addressing the country’s pressing issues.
Speaking to the media following the court hearing involving his brother Yoshitha Rajapaksa, the MP alleged that members of the current administration have also been involved in illegally acquiring land and have ongoing court cases against them.
“Law must be enacted equally on everyone, including them,” Rajapaksa asserted, urging the government not to “politicize” legal proceedings.
He further alleged that the government is seeking revenge against his family, particularly his brother Yoshitha, while he himself is the one voicing criticism of the government in Parliament. Namal claimed that Yoshitha Rajapaksa’s recent arrest was nothing more than a “media spectacle” orchestrated at the expense of public funds.
Responding to a question whether he’s trying to fail the government, Rajapaksa remarked: “We are not the ones who turned ‘pol sambol’ into a national crime, nor did we claim the rice shortage was due to dogs and cats eating rice. The failure of the government should be questioned by those who made such statements.”
Yoshitha Rajapaksa, the second son of former President Mahinda, who had been remanded in custody, was granted bail after being produced before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court this morning (27).
On January 25, Yoshitha Rajapaksa was arrested by CID officers in the Beliatta area under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, over a land ownership case.
