Former Sri Lankan Foreign and Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera passed away today due to COVID-19.
He was 65 years of age and was receiving treatment at a private hospital in Colombo.
According to hospital sources, Mangala was receiving care in the intensive care unit for several days but was unresponsive for the past two days. He was put on the ventilator today morning but succumbed to the virus.
In a message posted in Facebook, Member of Parliament M. A. Sumanthiran posted, “Our dear friend and former Minister Mangala Samaraweera passed away this morning due to COVID-19. There was no better friend of the other communities in Sri Lanka from among the Sinhala politicians. He lost his Ministerial portfolio as a result of protesting at the way the war against the LTTE was being prosecuted. Later, he regained his position as Minister of Foreign Affairs and did yeoman service for justice, accountability and reconciliation.”
