the president of Sri LankaGotabaya Rajapaksa, arrived in Singapore on Thursday from the Maldives, on a private visit according to the city-state of Southeast Asia, a day after the president fled his country.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa his wife Ioma and his two bodyguards arrived on board a plane from the Saudi company Saudia, an airport source told GLM. The plane landed at Singapore Changi Airport at 7:17 p.m. local time (11:17 GMT), according to AFP journalists on the ground. The press gathered at the airport after it emerged that the president was on his way to the city-state.
Immediately, Singapore stated that Rajapaksa entered on a private visit and was not granted asylum.
“It is confirmed that Rajapaksa was allowed to enter Singapore on a private visit”the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“He did not ask for asylum and it was not granted to him either. Singapore in general does not accept asylum requests. he added. Rajapaksa fled his residence on Saturday, stormed by protesters who accuse him of mismanagement in the midst of the worst economic crisis in the country’s history.
The president managed to leave Sri Lanka on Wednesday in the direction of the Maldives and this Thursday he traveled to Singapore. According to security sources, the president would stay in Singapore for some time, before going to the United Arab Emirates.