INTERPOL has issued a Blue Notice concerning former Minister Basil Rajapaksa following a request from Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID), according to Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala.
The notice is linked to ongoing investigations involving alleged money laundering and the alleged misuse of funds belonging to the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau.
The investigations include the alleged purchase of a 1.5-acre property in Brown’s Hill, Matara, and the alleged use of Rs. 7.8 million belonging to the Tourism Promotion Bureau to distribute 12,000 T-shirts during the Uva Provincial Council election period.
An INTERPOL Blue Notice is an international alert used by law enforcement agencies to obtain additional information about a person’s identity, location or activities in connection with a criminal investigation. It is an information-gathering mechanism and is distinct from a Red Notice, which can seek the provisional arrest of a person pending extradition proceedings.
