Yoshitha Rajapaksa, son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, has accused the current government of targeting him in a politically motivated investigation concerning land in Kataragama. Speaking to the media, Rajapaksa stated that he has no knowledge of owning the land in question, which authorities claim belongs to the government.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) reportedly interrogated him extensively about the land, which dates back to events from 2006-2007, a time when Rajapaksa was still a school student. According to Yoshitha, the allegations are baseless, and the situation has been fabricated to tarnish his reputation for political purposes.
“I became aware of this matter only because of the investigation. I didn’t even know about this land’s existence. Investigators say it belongs to the government. The only connection I had to the area was in 2023, when I provided some assistance to a nearby temple,” Yoshitha clarified.
He further claimed that this same land issue was probed during the Yahapalana government in 2017, but his name was not linked to the case at the time. “Despite that investigation, no allegations were made against me. Now, this government is using it as a tool for political gain by falsely implicating me,” he alleged.
Yoshitha also recalled previous instances of legal battles during the Yahapalana government, asserting that all accusations against him were eventually proven unfounded. “This is just another attempt to persecute me politically, but I will continue to face these false accusations and fight for my innocence,” he added.
Rajapaksa’s comments come amid heightened political tensions, as the government and opposition trade accusations of corruption and misuse of state resources. The case is expected to attract significant public and media attention in the coming weeks.
