The Police Media Division has clarified that the security of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa is well-maintained, with military personnel also deployed alongside police officers. The annual cost of providing security to former presidents is 1.1 billion rupees, with Rajapaksa's security alone costing over 326 million rupees.
The government has created a committee to review the security of former presidents as part of its policy to reduce the privileges of retired leaders.
This committee has assessed the costs and decided to revise the security arrangements for former presidents, including Rajapaksa, to 60 officers. The committee will continue to review these arrangements periodically, adjusting the number of security officers as needed.
In addition to the police, members of the armed forces are also assigned to the security of former presidents. The statement also highlighted a shortage of around 24,000 police officers for regular duties, with more than 2,000 officers previously assigned to VIP security now reassigned to general police duties.
The reduction in VIP security personnel has allowed more officers to be deployed to regional police stations, supporting crime prevention and other law enforcement responsibilities. No police officers are currently assigned to protect ministers or MPs.
