Maldives foreign ministry: No comments on Gotabaya’s Male stay

Male: The Maldives’ Foreign Ministry on Wednesday refused to comment on embattled Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s arrival in the country along with his wife and two security officers on board a military aircraft that took off from Colombo’s main international airport.

Rajapaksa, 73, flew out of the country hours before he was due to officially resign on Wednesday after months of protests against his government’s economic mismanagement that has led to severe shortages of food, fuel and other essentials.

Maldives Foreign Ministry Communications Director Miuwan Mohamed refused to comment on Rajapaksa’s arrival in the country.

“The Foreign Ministry will not comment on this issue [regarding Sri Lankan President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa’s arrival in the Maldives] at this time,” Mohamed said.

Communications Director at the Parliament Secretariat, Hassan Ziyau, said Parliament was not aware of the matter.

“The parliament office has not been informed,” he said in a message sent to the Parliament’s WhatsApp group, Maldives online newspaper Avas reported.

Earlier, a statement issued by the Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF) said that the President was provided a SLAF aircraft to fly from Katunayake international airport in Colombo to the Maldives with “complete approval” from the Ministry of Defence. The Prime Minister’s Office also confirmed that the President had left the country.