Sri Lankans Find IDR 17.85 Million Rupees While Sitting Presidential Palace

Colombo, MINA – 17.85 million rupees in cash or around Rp750 million was found when protesters s stormed and occupied the presidential palace in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

As quoted from the BBC on Tuesday, the cash in the form of new paper has been handed over by Sri Lankans to the police.

Currently, long queues of residents who want to see the palace in person are still ongoing amid reports that Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was flown to an air base near the international airport on Monday, giving rise to speculation that he will flee abroad.

Rajapaksa fled the presidential palace with an army escort on Saturday, shortly before tens of thousands of people stormed the palace. The 73-year-old president took refuge in a naval facility, the top defense official said before being taken to Katunayake air base.

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Meanwhile, protesters are still occupying the presidential palace and have said they will not leave until Rajapaksa formally steps down.

Earlier, Rajapaksa, announced his resignation from office, the announcement was made by a spokesman for the Prime Minister’s Office, after a wave of protests broke out in the country.

Sri Lankan Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said last weekend that President Rajapaksa would resign on July 13. But many protest groups are skeptical of the information.

A similar statement on Monday re-emerged, this time coming from the Prime Minister’s Office. In a statement, they said they had been contacted by President Rajapaksa that he would step down on July 13.

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At the time this report was compiled, Rajapaksa had not issued a statement to the public.

Under Sri Lanka’s constitution, the president’s resignation can only be formally accepted when he sends a letter to the head of parliament. This hasn’t happened until now.

Thousands of Sri Lankans took to the streets of the capital Colombo on Saturday. They demanded the resignation of President Rajapaksa. Rajapaksa is accused of failing to manage Sri Lanka’s economy.

As a result, said the demonstrators, during the past few months it was difficult for people to meet their food needs and could not afford to buy fuel and medicine. (T/RE1)

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Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)