Reports have emerged that Gotabaya Rajapaksa who landed in the Maldives yesterday, will now board a flight to Singapore this evening after claiming asylum. 

Maldivian-based news outlet gaafu, reported that the accused war criminal will depart through a Singapore Airlines flight SQ437 which is set to leave in over 8 hours.

It has also been reported that currently, Gotabaya Rajapaksa is staying within a resort in the country the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi, with nightly costs between US$ 5,903 and US$ 8,760.  The resort owner is alleged to have a close relationship with the Maldives foreign minister Abdullah Shahid. 

Rajapaksa, who is reportedly due to resign Wednesday, July 13, has been trying to flee the island since Saturday after tens of thousands of protesters stormed his official residence. 

The 73-year-old former defence secretary was reportedly trying to flee the country before he is scheduled to step down and lose immunity as a head of state that protects him from prosecution for a range of crimes. He reportedly fears being arrested and placed on trial where he could face prosecution for his financial crimes, as well as his genocide of Tamils.

On Monday night, as Rajapaksa and his wife attempted to leave the country at Colombo’s international airport, immigration officers were refusing to go to the VIP suite to stamp his passport. Rajapaksa reportedly refused to go through the public facilities, fearing reprisals from an already angry Sri Lankan public just days after protestors overran his official residence.

With the standoff continuing, Rajapaksa reportedly missed four flights to the United Arab Emirates, and he and his wife had to return to a nearby military base.