The Fort Magistrate’s Court yesterday issued an arrest warrant for former Minister Basil Rajapaksa over the alleged misuse of funds belonging to the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau during the 2014 Uva Provincial Council election.
The Magistrate also directed the CID Illegal Assets Investigation Division to take necessary steps to obtain a Red Notice through Interpol.
The orders were issued following submissions made by the CID in connection with the alleged financial irregularities.
The CID’s Illegal Assets Investigation Unit informed the court that Rs. 7.8 million allocated to the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau in 2014 had allegedly not been used for the Bureau’s promotional activities.
Instead, the funds had allegedly been used to provide 12,000 T-shirts during the Uva Provincial Council election, causing a financial loss to the government, the CID told court.