July 12, 2022

 Sri Lanka’s president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, is said to be considering using a navy patrol craft to flee the island following a humiliating standoff with airport immigration.

Rajapaksa, has promised to resign on Wednesday, 13^th July 2022, to clear the way for a “peaceful transition of power” following widespread protests against him over the country’s worst economic crisis.

Recall that Rajapaksa fled his official residence in Colombo just before tens of thousands of protesters overran it on Saturday.

Reports say, as president, Rajapaksa enjoys immunity from arrest, and he is believed to want to go abroad before stepping down to avoid the possibility of being detained.

But immigration officers reportedly refused to go to the VIP suite to stamp his passport, while he insisted he would not go through the public facilities, fearing reprisals from other airport users.