Police clarify arrest procedures for Yoshitha Rajapaksa amid criticism

Police Media Spokesman SSP Buddhika Manathunga clarified that it is not mandatory to handcuff every suspect taken into custody.

He explained that the decision to use handcuffs lies at the discretion of the officer on duty, based on the behavior of the suspect.

He made these remarks at a press conference on Sunday (January 26) in response to widespread criticism regarding why Yoshitha Rajapaksa, the second son of former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, was not handcuffed during his recent arrest.

SSP Manathunga elaborated that handcuffing is primarily a precautionary measure to maintain control, especially if the suspect is uncooperative or poses a flight risk. “If the suspect is compliant, handcuffing may not be necessary. In this case, the decision was made by the investigating officers based on Yoshitha Rajapaksa’s conduct,” he stated.

The arrest occurred on Saturday morning (January 25) at the Beliatta entrance of the Southern Expressway under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. This was in response to a directive issued by the Attorney General on January 23, 2025, citing sufficient evidence to name Yoshitha as a suspect in a case involving the purchase of land valued at Rs. 34 million in Sirimal Pedesa, Ratmalana.

The primary suspect in the case is Daisy Forrest Wickremesinghe, commonly known as “Daisy Achchi,” Yoshitha’s grandmother.

SSP Manathunga also addressed the social media circulation of a photograph taken during the arrest, emphasizing that it was not captured by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) or any police officer.

Instead, the photograph was taken while Yoshitha was being held at the Beliatta Expressway checkpoint, likely by a friend or another individual present at the scene.

He confirmed that CID officers had visited Yoshitha’s residence in Dehiwala earlier that morning, only to learn that he had traveled to Beliatta.

The arrest was then coordinated with Sri Lanka Police, who detained him at the expressway exit before CID officers arrived to take him into custody.

The spokesperson also refuted allegations of political interference in the investigation, stating, “All legal procedures were followed, and there was no involvement from the subject minister or any other authority. Their involvement was limited to administrative matters.”

Yoshitha was presented before the Colombo Additional Magistrate, who ordered him to be remanded in custody until today (January 27).

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