All this while, President Rajapaksa, a source revealed, was near the BIA weighing options to make a hurried getaway from Sri Lanka. Hence, how permission for a military aircraft to land in Male was sought by the Sri Lanka government remains a critical question. Before he became a cabinet minister in Sri Lanka, his mode of travel to Los Angeles has been via Economy Class. The saga of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fleeing Sri Lanka did not originate at the Bandaranaike International Airport that Tuesday night. This is an Advance Offshore Patrol Vessel (AOPV) from the United States Coast Guard and gifted to Sri Lanka.

Source: Sunday Times July 17, 2022 09:34 UTC