The President of Sri Lanka fled to the Maldives

The President of Sri Lanka, Gotabaya Rajapaksa

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives early Wednesday in a possible prelude to his resignation following widespread protests against the country's worst economic crisis in decades.

As president, Rajapaksa enjoys immunity from arrest and it is believed that he wanted to leave before resigning so that he could be arrested when he was out of power.

He, his wife and two bodyguards were the four passengers aboard an Antonov-32 military plane that took off from Sri Lanka's main international airport, immigration sources told AFP.

On arrival in the Maldives, they were taken to an undisclosed location under police escort, an airport official in the capital Male said.

Smiling Sri Lankans once again filled the corridors of the president's official residence after his departure on Wednesday.

"People are very happy because these people robbed our country," said retired civil servant Kingsley Samarakoon, 74. "They have stolen a lot of money, billions and billions."

Protesters in Sri Lanka, who during the weekend entered the presidential palace and burned the house of the prime minister, have demanded the resignation of the president and the prime minister./REL

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