Airport staff block president from fleeing

SRI LANKA - Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was blocked from leaving his own country yesterday as airport immigration staff refused to facilitate his escape from a nation in crisis.

The president, who’s been accused of mismanaging Sri Lanka’s economy to the point of collapse, fled his official residence just before it was breached by protestors on Saturday and sought a flight to Dubai, Agence France-Presse reported.

However, when he arrived at the airport, immigration officers declined to enter the VIP suite to stamp his passport, as per AFP, citing government sources.

Rajapaksa had avoided going through the public customs channel out of fear that people at the airport would harass or attack him, the outlet reported.

As a result, he and his wife missed four flights to the United Arab Emirates, as per AFP.

Rajapaksa promised he would resign today as mass protests rage across the capital of Colombo over Sri Lanka’s worst economic disaster in decades. Thousands of demonstrators stormed the presidential residence on Saturday, overrunning its luxurious grounds and making themselves at home.

Citing official sources, AFP reported that authorities seized a suitcase left at Rajapaska’s residence that contained documents and nearly 18 million rupees, or US$50,000.

According to Bloomberg, Rajapaksa’s younger brother, Basil, who was also the country’s former finance minister, received similar treatment from immigration officials at the airport.

The officials had refused to process the younger Rajapaksa’s departure after airport staff heard he was trying to flee and demanded that he stay in the country, the outlet reported.