COLOMBO — Sri Lankan police arrested Sagara Kariyawasam, general-secretary of the Sri Lanka Podujana Party, on Aug. 10 after he allegedly warned Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasooriya that the chief “could be killed” if he remained partisan, officials said. Police said Weerasooriya regarded the remark as a death threat and recorded Kariyawasam’s statement before taking him into custody to be produced before a magistrate.
The arrest marks the latest detention of an associate of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, whose family members and close aides have faced a string of probes since the leftist administration of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake took office in September 2024 pledging to confront corruption. Rajapaksa himself faces allegations of receiving kickbacks linked to a scrapped Airbus aircraft purchase, while several relatives are accused of money-laundering and embezzlement of state funds.
Police did not immediately say whether charges beyond the threat allegation would be filed. Kariyawasam made the remark at a Colombo press conference last week, prompting officials to launch an investigation. The detention underscores ongoing tensions between the current government and figures tied to the former ruling dynasty.