Graft busters question Rajapakse brothers

Sri Lankan supporters of former president Mahinda Rajapakse take part in a protest outside the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption department Colombo on Thursday. — AFP photo

Two brothers of former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapakse faced questioning by anti-corruption investigators on Thursday as the new government stepped up its crackdown against the old regime.
Hours after the former leader’s youngest brother Basil was arrested on his return from a trip abroad, another sibling, Gotabhaya, was hauled before the country’s main anti-corruption body over claims of kickbacks he allegedly received while he served as defence secretary.
Gotabhaya, widely regarded as the real power behind 69-year-old Rajapakse during his decade-long rule, angrily denounced the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) as he arrived at their headquarters on Thursday.