Ex Sri Lankan minister granted bail after being arrested on allegations of financial fraud

A former high ranking Sri Lankan minister who was arrested on allegations of misusing state funds was granted bail by a high court in capital Colombo on Monday.

Basil Rajapakse, the former Economic Development Minister and younger brother of former President Mahinda Rajapakse was arrested by the police Financial Crimes Investigations Division (FCID) in April after he was probed for financial irregularities amounting to millions alleged to have taken place under his tenure in the ministry.

His lawyer U.R. De Silva told Xinhua that the bail order will be transferred to the Kaduwela Magistrate Court, in the outskirts of the Capital, where the case was initially taken up and Rajapakse along with two others who was detained for the same purpose will be formally released on Tuesday.

Rajapakse had fled to the United Sates soon after his brother's defeat in a Presidential Election in January and returned back in April vowing to assist the police in the corruption investigations against him.

Complaints had been lodged against the former minister at the country's anti graft Commission soon after the new government was sworn to power over mass financial fraud allegedly committed by him and his ministry during his decade long tenure in office.

A court in the western province in March ordered the police to record a statement from Rajapakse after Police informed courts that he should be brought back to the country for interrogation with respect to the financial irregularities that are reported to have taken place.

The new government led by President Maithripala Sirisena had said it would take the assistance of INTERPOL if Rajapakse failed to return back to the island. Endi