Now, Rajapaksa has taken up residence there.

This follows a request by him to the president to give him a house in Colombo.

A request for a house at Stanmore Crescent, Colombo 07, where ex-defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had lived, was turned down as minister Rajitha Senaratne was already living there.

The President has offered his house at Wijerama Mawatha, but Rajapaksa turned it down, citing a lack of facilities.

Therefore, renovations had been done to the house, before handing it over to him.