INTERPOL notice issued for Basil Rajapaksa
– INTERPOL has issued a blue notice on former minister Basil Rajapaksa following a request by the Criminal Investigations Department as authorities step up efforts to trace and bring back individuals wanted in connection with ongoing legal proceedings, Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala told the Daily Mirror.Minister Wijepala said the government is using international law enforcement mechanisms to track down former politicians and other wanted individuals who are residing overseas while facing legal proceedings in Sri Lanka.Basil Rajapaksa is currently facing court proceedings in Sri Lanka and has failed to appear before court on several occasions. The Matara Chief Magistrate’s Court reissued an arrest warrant in July against him after he failed to appear in connection with a case involving the alleged purchase of a 1.5-acre property at Brown’s Hill, Eliyakanda Road, Matara, for Rs.60 million.
The minister said that a Blue Notice had already been issued in respect of Basil Rajapaksa, enabling international law enforcement authorities to obtain information concerning his identity, location or activities in connection with the relevant criminal investigations.The case was filed by the Police Financial Crimes Investigation Division and named several other accused. Basil’s lawyers had previously informed court that he was overseas receiving medical treatment, while the court ordered that the arrest warrant be enforced after considering his repeated absence.
An Interpol Blue Notice is an international alert used by law enforcement to collect extra information about a person’s identity, location, or activities in connection with a criminal investigation Clarifying the international mechanisms being used, the Minister explained the technical distinctions between a Blue Notice and a Red Notice. He said that a Blue Notice is issued when a suspect’s exact foreign address or country of residence is known, serving as an official declaration that the individual is needed by their home country. Conversely, a Red Notice is sought for fugitives whose whereabouts remain entirely unknown. Sri Lanka’s Interpol branch operates directly through the CID, which requests and processes these notices via the international INTERPOL Notices system.
“A Blue Notice has been issued for Basil Rajapaksa. When individuals are required for an investigation, we notify Interpol through a Blue Notice. If there is a known address showing he resides in a specific place, the Blue Notice conveys that he is required by the country,” the minister said.The Minister said the Government was taking the necessary legal and international steps to bring back individuals wanted in connection with criminal and bribery-related cases, regardless of their previous political positions.