Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala announced today in Parliament that steps will be taken to withdraw all security provided to former presidents, except for police protection, starting next week. The decision follows the routine security assessments conducted every six months.

Highlighting the significant cost of providing security, the Minister revealed that the gove ment has spent Rs. 1,448 million on the security of former presidents over the past eleven and a half months.

Detailing the current deployment of personnel, he stated:

• Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa: 60 police officers and 228 tri-forces personnel.
• Former President Maithripala Sirisena: 4 military officers and 60 police officers.
• Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa: 188 tri-forces personnel and 22 police officers.
• Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe: 57 military officers and 60 police officers.
• Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike: 60 police officers.
• Mrs. Hema Premadasa (widow of former President Ranasinghe Premadasa): 10 police officers.

Minister Wijepala provided a breakdown of the expenditures:

• Rs. 710 million was spent on Mahinda Rajapaksa’s security, with the Tri-Forces, Police, and Presidential Secretariat contributing to the cost.
• Rs. 207 million was spent for Maithripala Sirisena’s security.
• Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s security cost Rs. 307 million.
• Ranil Wickremesinghe’s security for three months amounted to Rs. 82 million.
• Chandrika Bandaranaike’s security cost Rs. 112 million.
• Mrs. Hema Premadasa’s security expenses totaled Rs. 32 million.

The Minister emphasized that the financial burden of these security arrangements has been a strain on public funds. “This is a very difficult situation,” he remarked, underscoring the need for measures to manage costs effectively.