COLOMBO, October 18, 2026 —The Attorney General’s Department is preparing documents for an international notice against former Minister Basil Rajapaksa following a court order for his arrest over the alleged misuse of Rs. 7.8 million in state tourism funds.
The Attorney General’s Department is preparing a dossier to support an application for an Interpol Red Notice against former Minister Basil Rajapaksa, as Sri Lankan authorities pursue his arrest and possible extradition in connection with investigations into alleged money laundering and the misuse of public funds.
Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Ananda Wijepala has said that investigation files and related documents concerning Rajapaksa have been forwarded to the Attorney General’s Department for further legal action.
The move follows a request by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for an Interpol Blue Notice and an October 14 order by Colombo Fort Magistrate Pasan Amarasena directing investigators to take steps to arrest the former minister and produce him before court.
A senior government official has indicated that authorities intend to seek Rajapaksa’s extradition from the United States once the necessary legal documentation is completed and the relevant international procedures are followed.
Neither the issuance of a Red Notice nor a formal extradition order has been confirmed.
Attorney General Prepares Documents for Interpol
The transfer of investigation files to the Attorney General’s Department represents another stage in the effort to pursue legal proceedings against Rajapaksa, who holds dual Sri Lankan and United States citizenship.
According to government sources, the Department is compiling the documentation necessary for an application to Interpol for a Red Notice.
The CID has already sought a Blue Notice to obtain additional information about Rajapaksa’s identity, whereabouts and activities in connection with the investigations.
That request remains pending, according to the latest reporting.
A Blue Notice is primarily an information-gathering mechanism. It enables law enforcement agencies to seek information about a person connected to a criminal investigation.
A Red Notice serves a different purpose. It requests law enforcement authorities around the world to locate and provisionally arrest a wanted person pending extradition, surrender or other lawful action.
Neither notice is an international arrest warrant in itself.
The distinction is important because a decision by Sri Lankan authorities to request a Red Notice does not mean Interpol has issued one or that a foreign government is legally obliged to arrest the person concerned.
Any subsequent extradition would depend on the applicable legal framework and decisions by the relevant authorities.
Court Orders Arrest Over Rs. 7.8 Million Tourism Funds
On October 14, Colombo Fort Magistrate Pasan Amarasena directed the CID’s Illegal Assets Investigation Unit to take steps to arrest Rajapaksa and produce him before court.
The order followed submissions relating to the alleged misuse of Rs. 7.8 million allocated to the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau in 2014.
Investigators allege that money intended for tourism promotion was instead used to procure 12,000 T-shirts distributed during the Uva Provincial Council election campaign.
According to the CID’s submissions, the alleged diversion of funds caused a financial loss to the Government.
The Magistrate also directed that warrants be issued in Sinhala and English to facilitate the process of seeking an Interpol Red Notice.
The allegations concern the use of state resources for purposes other than those for which the funds had been allocated.
They remain allegations under investigation and have not been established as criminal wrongdoing by a final judicial determination.
Browns Hill Property Also Under Investigation
A separate aspect of the investigations concerns the acquisition of property in the Browns Hill area of Matara.
CID investigators have examined allegations that a property of approximately one and a half acres was purchased using funds suspected to have been obtained unlawfully.
Authorities have also taken steps under Sri Lanka’s anti-money-laundering laws in connection with the property.
The Browns Hill investigation and the Tourism Promotion Bureau allegations are distinct matters, although both have featured in efforts to obtain international assistance concerning Rajapaksa.
The source material does not establish that the allegedly misused tourism funds were used to purchase the Browns Hill property.
Nor does the existence of a money-laundering investigation establish that the property was acquired with criminal proceeds.
Those issues must be determined through the available financial evidence and the relevant judicial proceedings.
Extradition From the United States Under Consideration
Rajapaksa, who left Sri Lanka in 2022, holds citizenship in both Sri Lanka and the United States.
Government sources say legal authorities are examining the possibility of pursuing his return through the extradition arrangements between the two countries.
A senior official cited in contemporary reporting indicated that Sri Lanka could seek extradition after obtaining the necessary Interpol documentation.
Such a request would involve legal procedures separate from the issuing of an international police notice.
An Interpol Red Notice may assist authorities in locating a wanted individual and seeking provisional arrest, but extradition requires consideration under the laws and treaty obligations of the countries involved.
The submission of documents to the Attorney General’s Department therefore does not guarantee that Rajapaksa will be returned to Sri Lanka.
His return would depend on the completion of the relevant legal steps and decisions by the competent authorities.
Further Legal Steps Await Completion of Dossier
The investigation has progressed from requests for international information to a court-backed effort to obtain assistance for Rajapaksa’s arrest.
The immediate task is for the Attorney General’s Department and investigators to complete the documentation required for a formal Red Notice application.
The CID must also continue its inquiries into the alleged misuse of tourism funds and the separate Browns Hill property transaction.
For now, the distinction between an application being prepared and a notice actually being issued remains central to the case.
Authorities have not confirmed that Interpol has approved a Red Notice, that extradition proceedings have formally commenced in the United States or that Rajapaksa has been arrested.
The next development will be whether the completed dossier is submitted to Interpol and what action follows under the applicable international and domestic legal procedures.
