The authorities in Sri Lanka have arrested a local employee of the Swiss embassy. The woman is accused of "false testimony" and "unreliability to the government", the Sri Lankan prosecutor said.
According to the Swiss embassy, the employee had been kidnapped by unknown attackers and sexually harassed on November 25. The Sri Lankan authorities clearly doubt this.
Switzerland, on the other hand, asked for evidence of the allegations against the woman. The Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs also criticized that, despite her poor health, the woman was interviewed for a total of 30 hours within three days.
The timing of the arrest is spicy: On November 24, a day before the assault on the employees, senior Sri Lankan police inspector Nishantha Silva applied for asylum from the Swiss authorities.
In the past, Silva had been involved in investigations into alleged kidnappings, torture, murders, and the disappearance of journalists and activists under former Defense Minister and current President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
The local judicial authorities had recently stopped the corruption investigation against 70-year-old Rajapaksa, referring to his newly gained immunity. Shortly thereafter, Rajapaksa swore in his 74-year-old brother Mahinda as prime minister.