Sri Lanka seeks Interpol Blue Notice for Basil Rajapaksa

Sri Lankan authorities have requested Interpol to issue a Blue Notice concerning former Minister Basil Rajapaksa, who is currently overseas and is wanted under two arrest warrants issued by courts in Matara and Colombo.

Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala said the request had been made to Interpol concerning Rajapaksa, while a senior police officer said Interpol had asked Sri Lankan authorities to provide further information.

The officer said steps have been taken to submit the relevant documents requested by Interpol.

According to Interpol, a Blue Notice is used to collect additional information about a person’s identity, location or activities in connection with a criminal investigation.

Rajapaksa is currently subject to two arrest warrants linked to separate investigations.

One relates to the alleged purchase of a 1.5-acre property at Brown’s Hill on Eliyakanda Road in Matara using allegedly illicitly acquired funds.

The Matara Magistrate’s Court initially issued a warrant for Rajapaksa’s arrest on May 22, 2026, after he repeatedly failed to appear before court in connection with the case. His lawyers had submitted medical reports and told the court that he was overseas receiving treatment for an illness and was therefore unable to appear. However, the court rejected the request and issued the warrant.

The case was filed by the Police Financial Crimes Investigation Division and also names several others, including Rajapaksa’s wife’s sister Ayoma Galappaththi and her husband Tissa Galappaththi.

The warrant was later reissued in July after Rajapaksa again failed to appear before court.

The second warrant relates to allegations that Rs. 7.8 million belonging to the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau was used to obtain and distribute 12,000 T-shirts during the 2014 Uva Provincial Council election campaign.

On June 17, 2026, Colombo Fort Magistrate Pasan Amarasena directed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to arrest Rajapaksa and produce him before court in connection with the case.

Investigators told court that the Rs. 7.8 million had been allocated for tourism promotional activities but was allegedly diverted for the election campaign, causing a financial loss to the State.

During the same proceedings, former Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Managing Director Rumy Jauffer, who had been remanded in connection with the investigation, was released on bail and was also subjected to a foreign travel ban.

The CID had further informed the court that documents had been signed indicating that the T-shirts had been received by the Bureau although they had allegedly not been delivered to the institution.

The Magistrate also questioned investigators over why the Bureau’s Finance Director, who was referred to in the B-report and was alleged to have approved documents connected to the payment, had not been arrested. The CID said the matter had been referred to the Attorney General and instructions were awaited.

The case is scheduled to be taken up again on October 14, 2026.