The protesters, who have occupied the building since Saturday, intend to stay there until the Sri Lankan president resigns.
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Sri Lanka’s presidential palace has been occupied by protesters since Saturday. Millions of rupees in cash left behind by fugitive Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa have been handed over to justice, a police spokesman said Monday (July 11th). The demonstrators discovered 17.85 million rupees (49,000 euros) in new banknotes in the presidential palace. According to official sources, a suitcase filled with documents was also found in the residence.
>> Sri Lanka: what we know about the protests that prompted the president to announce his resignation
The protesters intend to occupy the building until the Sri Lankan president resigns on Wednesday, as he promised. “Our fight is not over”explained Lahiru Weerasekara, one of the student leaders of the movement. “We won’t give up until he’s really gone”he told reporters.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa had moved into this building after being chased from his private residence on March 31 by protesters attempting to storm it. The 73-year-old leader escaped on Saturday and was taken on a military ship to a base in the northeast of the island, official sources said. His exact whereabouts were uncertain Monday morning. However, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe assured that the president had officially warned him of his intention to resign, which the speaker of parliament, Mahinda Abeywardana, had already affirmed on Saturday evening.