Former Sri Lankan president not getting privileges in Singapore, minister says

Singapore's foreign minister said on Monday former Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was not being accorded any privileges or immunity in Singapore.

Rajapaksa landed in Singapore on July 14, a day after fleeing his crisis-ridden country via Maldives and following a popular uprising that forced him to resign as president.

"In general, the Singapore Government does not accord privileges, immunity and hospitality to former Heads of State or Heads of Government. Consequently, former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was not accorded any privileges, immunity or hospitality," the minister, Vivian Balakrishnan, said.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's Supreme Court has extended a travel ban imposed on former president Mahinda Rajapaksa and his brother, ex-minister Basil Rajapaksa, until Aug. 4 as they were named respondents in a case filed over the economic crisis, Ada Derana news website reported on Monday.

On Sunday, Sri Lanka's new president Ranil Wickremesinghe said it was not the right time for former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa to return to the country as it could inflame political tensions, the Wall Street Journal reported.

"I don't believe it's the time for him to return," Wickremesinghe said in an interview with the Journal. "I have no indication of him returning soon."

The crisis-hit country has been in talks with the International Monetary Fund on a bailout package. In April, Sri Lanka had suspended repayments on about $12 billion of foreign debt and has payments of nearly $21 billion due by the end of 2025.

Wickremesinghe expected the IMF staff-level agreement to be reached by the end of August, the report said, adding that Sri Lanka will have to secure upwards of $3 billion from other sources next year to support essential imports including fuel, food and fertilisers.

He also told the newspaper it would be months before Sri Lankans would see any marked improvement in their economic circumstances.