A Sri Lankan court on Monday issued an arrest warrant against Namal Rajapaksa, the son of former President and influential politician Mahinda Rajapaksa, ordering him to appear before a local court.

The directive followed his failure to attend a court hearing related to a land allotment case dating back to 2015. A similar order had previously been issued after he did not appear for trial in connection with the same matter.

According to Sri Lankan media reports, Namal was in the Maldives at the time the latest order was issued. He had arrived in the Maldives earlier in the day on a flight that also carried President Anura Kumara Dissanayaka on his official visit to the country.

Reports suggest that Namal travelled to the Maldives to attend the wedding of a local family with whom he is closely associated. He is known to maintain strong ties with many locals, particularly politicians.

Namal Rajapaksa, who contested in the most recent Sri Lankan presidential election, is considered one of the most influential young political figures from the Rajapaksa family. He previously served as the country’s Youth Minister and held a parliamentary seat.