Rajapaksa family

=== Political scandal ===
Following the 2015 presidential election defeat, the Rajapaksa family were accused of misusing public resources during the campaign, including use of the [[Sri Lankan Air Force]] in the campaign that cost $17,273.28 (Rs. 2,278,000.00) of public funds.<ref>{{cite news|author=Kannangara, Nirmala|date=18 January 2015|title=Flying High With Public Funds|work=[[The Sunder Leader]]|url=http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2015/01/18/flying-high-with-public-funds/|accessdate=4 February 2015}}</ref> The Rajapaksa family received numerous [[Public resources|state resource abuse]] complaints from organisations and election monitors, including involvement in fraud, misuse of powers, and murder. Among the charges are money laundering said to have taken $5.31 billion (Rs. 700 billion) out of the country illegally through Sri Lanka's Central Bank using Mahinda Rajapaksa's close association with [[Ajith Nivard Cabraal]], the former governor of [[Central Bank of Sri Lanka]].<ref>{{cite news|author=ANEEZ, SHIHAR|date=22 January 2014|title=Sri Lanka to probe hidden foreign assets after Rajapaksa defeat|work=[[Reuters]]|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sri-lanka-politics-corruption-idUSKBN0KV20J20150122|accessdate=4 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=14 January 2015|title=Sri Lanka's former president Rajapaksa faces graft complaint|work=[[The Straits Times]]|url=http://www.straitstimes.com/news/asia/south-asia/story/sri-lankas-former-president-rajapaksa-faces-graft-complaint-20150114|accessdate=4 February 2015}}</ref>

On 23 January 2015, the [[Seychelles]] government announced that would assist the [[Sri Lanka|Sri Lankan]] government in search of funds that were transferred by the Rajapaksa regime into Port [[Victoria, Seychelles|Victoria]] [[offshore bank]] accounts.<ref name="Seychelles Investigation2">{{cite news|date=23 January 2015|title=Seychelles says ties with Sri Lanka go beyond politics, offers to assist investigations|work=Colombo Page|url=http://www.colombopage.com/archive_15A/Jan23_1422027029CH.php|accessdate=5 February 2015}}</ref> In February 2015, [[India]] pledged to help the [[Sirisena cabinet|Sirisena Government]] in tracing the billion of dollars that were taken out of the country illegally.<ref>{{cite news|date=3 February 2015|title=India to help SL to trace billions stashed abroad|work=DailyMirror.lk|url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/62787/india-to-help-sl-to-trace-billions-stashed-abroad|accessdate=4 February 2015}}</ref> Sirisena's government sought help from the [[World Bank]] and the [[International Monetary Fund]] in locating this hidden wealth to expose the alleged corruption of the previous regime.<ref name="India to help Sri Lanka to trace billions stashed abroad by Rajapaksas2">{{cite news|date=4 February 2015|title=India to help Sri Lanka to trace billions stashed abroad by Rajapaksas|work=Sri Lanka Guardian|url=http://www.slguardian.org/?p=26385|accessdate=4 February 2015}}</ref> An Anti-Corruption Unit was formed by then Prime Minister [[Ranil Wickremesinghe]], and the new Cabinet has appointed a high-powered "rapid response team" to look into corrupt land transactions, stock market price-fixing and the abuse of state funds for political purposes by Rajapaksa family and the close association of Mahinda Rajapaksa.<ref name="India to help Sri Lanka to trace billions stashed abroad by Rajapaksas2" />

Public sentiment towards the ruling Rajapaksha-led government took a significant downturn during the foreign currency and economic crisis faced by Sri Lanka in 2022. [[2022 Sri Lankan protests|Demonstrations against their rule]] were held in major residential areas of Colombo including one held near the president [[Gotabaya Rajapaksa]]'s private resident.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sri Lanka economic crisis: The all-powerful Rajapaksas under fire |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/4/1/sri-lanka-economic-crisis-the-all-powerful-rajapaksas-under-fire |access-date=2022-04-04 |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en}}</ref> In the escalation of protests, an angry mob in Sri Lanka burned down several homes belonging to the Rajapaksa family. Previously, protesters were attacked by government supporters.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-61389189 | title=Sri Lanka: Protesters torch leaders' homes in night of unrest | publisher =BBC News  |access-date=10 May 2022}}</ref>