The Public Security Minister, Ananda Wijeypala, announced in Parliament today that military security provided to former presidents will be withdrawn starting next week. Going forward, only police protection will be allocated to them, as part of a move to reduce government expenditure on security-related services for retired leaders.
Minister Wijeypala revealed the current deployment of both military and police personnel for former presidents. Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa currently has 60 police officers and 228 tri-forces personnel assigned for his security and other activities. Former President Maithripala Sirisena has been allocated 60 police officers and 4 military officers, while Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has 22 police officers and 188 tri-forces personnel. Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe has been provided with 60 police officers and 57 military officers, while Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has 60 police officers. Meanwhile, Mrs. Hema Premadasa, widow of former President Ranasinghe Premadasa, has been assigned 10 police officers.
Highlighting the financial burden of maintaining such security, Minister Wijeypala disclosed the costs incurred over the last 11 and a half months. The government spent a staggering Rs. 710 million for Mahinda Rajapaksa alone. This includes Rs. 328 million by the Tri-Forces, Rs. 327 million by the Police, and Rs. 55 million by the Presidential Secretariat. Maithripala Sirisena’s security costs totaled Rs. 207 million, comprising Rs. 6 million by the Tri-Forces, Rs. 185 million by the Police, and Rs. 16 million by the Presidential Secretariat. Similarly, Rs. 307 million was spent on Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s security, with Rs. 258 million borne by the Tri-Forces, Rs. 39 million by the Police, and Rs. 10 million by the Presidential Secretariat.
For Ranil Wickremesinghe, the government incurred expenses of Rs. 82 million over three months, including Rs. 19 million by the Tri-Forces, Rs. 60 million by the Police, and Rs. 3 million by the Presidential Secretariat. Chandrika Kumaratunga’s security costs amounted to Rs. 112 million, with Rs. 99 million spent by the Police and Rs. 12 million by the Presidential Secretariat. Meanwhile, Hema Premadasa’s security expenses totaled Rs. 32 million, including Rs. 30 million by the Police and Rs. 3 million by the Presidential Secretariat.
Minister Wijeypala emphasized that the total expenditure on security for retired presidents has reached Rs. 1.448 billion over the past 11 and a half months. He described this spending as an unnecessary and excessive use of public funds at a time when the country faces severe economic hardship. “This is a very difficult situation, Honorable Speaker. The people’s money has been spent excessively on these retired presidents, and it is our responsibility to rectify this misuse of resources,” the Minister stated.
The decision to withdraw military security marks a significant shift in the government’s approach to managing resources for retired heads of state. Moving forward, security arrangements will rely solely on police personnel, aiming to reduce costs while maintaining necessary protection.
