Sri Lanka slaps travel ban on former central bank chief

ASriLankan courtonThursday placed atravelbanonthe country's recently resignedcentralbankchieffollowing allegations he is responsible for the island's crippling economic crisis.

The magistrate in Colombo ordered Ajith Cabraal, who quitonMonday, to appear in courtonApril 18 to answer a complaint against him.

The court asked immigration authorities not to allow him to leave the island after a rights activist filed a petition against him.

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Cabraal, who was handpicked to lead thebankby President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, was responsible forSriLanka's acute foreign exchange shortage and other financial woes, activist Keerthi Tennakoon argued.

Tennakoon told the court theformerbankchiefwas also responsible for insider trading when he led the institution between 2006 and 2015. He was appointed to a new term in September last year.

Cabraal quitonMonday a day after the cabinet resigned en masse except Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, the president's brother. A replacement has yet to be appointed.

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Senior government figures have accused the banker of misleading President Rajapaksa and preventing Colombo from seeking a bailout from the International Monetary Fund at an earlier date.

Last month the government said it will finally go to the IMF for help but talks are yet to begin.

Cabraal previously insisted he had a homegrown solution to boost foreign reserves, but the government has now run out of dollars to pay even for essential supplies.

Theformerbankchiefwas not immediately available for commentonThursday.