Over 1,000 items stolen from Sri Lanka’s Presidential Palace, PM house
PremiumOver 1,000 items are reported missing from Sri Lanka’s Presidential palace and PM's official residence after protesters took over the palaces, police have said
More than 1,000 valuable items have reportedly gone missing from Sri Lanka’s Presidential Palace and Prime Minister’s official residence in Colombo after anti-government demonstrators occupied these premises during a massive protest over the severe economic crisis in the country, police said on Saturday. The items that have gone missing from the Presidential Palace and Sri Lankan Prime Minister's residence include items of vintage and antique value.
Though anti-government protests were going on in Sri Lanka for past few months, they turned violent only recently amid the country's worsening economic condition.
On July 9, anti-government protesters stormed into the residences of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and set fire to one of the buildings, chanting slogans against them and demanding their resignations.
According to the initial investigations by the police, at least 1,000 items of value, including rare artifacts, have gone missing from the Presidential Palace as well as the Prime Minister’s official residence. An investigation has been initiated in the case of over 1,000 missing items from the Presidential House and the Prime Minister's official residence in Sri Lanka.
Notably, the Sri Lankan Department of Archaeology does not have a detailed record of the antiques and different artifacts at the Presidential Palace. The two premises have been gazetted as a place of archaeological importance.
A senior official of the Department of Archaeology has said that it would be difficult to ascertain the exact number of artifacts that are missing from the two premises. Police, however, said that over 1,000 are missing since the protesters stormed the palaces.
Newly-elected President Ranil Wickremesinghe said he respects the rights of the protesters but “would not allow another government building to be occupied."
"Don't obstruct the parliamentarians and the parliament from carrying out their duty," he said this week.
(With agency inputs)
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