He is reported to have left aboard a SriLankan Airlines flight at approximately 1.30 am.

Attanayake was the UNP's General Secretary but crossed over to the government to support former President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the election while being its new minister of health.

He was accused of accepting a large sum of money to support Rajapaksa, a charge he has denied.

He was also questioned by police over a faked document with the forged signatures of UNP leader Ranil Wickremasinghe and Maithripala Sirisena who was the Opposition's Common Presidential candidate in the run-up to the January 8 election.