Colombo

Sri Lanka's former finance minister Basil Rajapaksa, who is the youngest brother of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, was stopped from boarding a flight to Dubai.

Basil reportedly attempted to leave Sri Lanka amid the ongoing economic crisis in the country but airport immigration officials refused to let him leave the country following protests by passengers.

Upon immigration officials' refusal, Basil had to return without being able to proceed.

This development comes a day after Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena clarified that Gotabaya Rajapaksa is still in the country, soon after reports emerged that the President had left the island nation.

On Saturday thousands of people stormed into the President's and the Prime Minister’s houses demanding their resignations.

Sri Lanka is suffering from its worst economic crisis since gaining independence in 1948, which comes on the heels of successive waves of COVID-19.

With no fuel, the country’s economy is in a virtual lockdown. The Sri Lankan government has failed to pay for imports of essential items including food and petroleum products.

In May 2022 it defaulted on its loan payment amassing a huge debt of $78 million.

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The President and Prime Minister both have agreed to step down. The country will see a new President on July 20.