State houses of former leaders to be reclaimed from September: President

• Those found guilty will face strict punishment, regardless of position or influence
• Says law will be enforced equally on all citizens

The government will reclaim all state-owned houses allocated to former Presidents, once new legislation is passed in September, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said yesterday.   

Addressing a public event in Colombo, the President said the move is part of his administration’s wider effort to ensure equality before the law and end privileges that undermine public trust in governance.   

“The law will be enforced equally on all citizens. Those found guilty of corruption will face strict punishment, no matter their position or influence,” he stressed.   

He added that providing luxury state housing for former leaders while the country is grappling with an economic crisis was unacceptable. “We cannot continue to burden the people with unnecessary expenses while asking them to make sacrifices,” he noted.   

The announcement comes as the government prepares to introduce new legislation aimed at strengthening anti-corruption measures and reviewing state privileges granted to former officials.