Rajapakse seeks explanation from anti-graft body

Former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapakse has sought an explanation from the country's anti-graft body chief as to why summons were issued to him over bribery allegations.

The former president's spokesperson Rohan Weliwita told Xinhua news agency that Rajapakse had written to Director General of the Bribery and Corruption Commission Dilrukshi Dias Wickremasinghe on Wednesday, seeking an explanation and more details about the probe against him.

"The former president wants to know who the petitioner is and what the charges are against him. When the commission issued the summons, they did not provide any details of the case," Weliwita said.

According to reports, Rajapakse is expected to be questioned over allegations that he bribed a former member of the ruling United National Party who resigned to support him before the January presidential vote with a ministerial post.

Political instability has erupted in the island nation in the past week with a group of opposition parliamentarians, all supporters of Rajapakse, staging protests in the capital over the summons issued on the former president.

Uproar also broke out in the Sri Lankan parliament earlier this week with the opposition parliamentarians going on an overnight fast demanding that the summons be withdrawn and the chief of the anti-graft commission be sacked.

Following the tense situation in parliament, Wickremesinghe was summoned by Speaker Chamal Rajapakse, who is also a brother of the former leader, to parliament to discuss on what basis the summons had been issued.

The protest by the opposition was called off only after Justice Minister Wijedasa Rajapakse informed Parliament that officers from the commission would visit Rajapakse to record the statement instead of summoning him there.