The embattled President of Sri Lanka Gotabaya Rajapaksa reached neighbouring Maldives in a military plane amid protests against him on Wednesday, according to local officials quoted by news agency AFP, reports hindustantimes.com.

Rajapaksa (73), his wife and a bodyguard were among the four passengers on board an Antonov-32 aircraft that flew off from the main international airport, immigration officials informed AFP as quoted by ndtv.com.

Rajapaksa enjoys immunity from arrest and has reportedly wanted to go abroad before resigining to avoid being detained.

Sri Lankans were on the edge on Tuesday as they wondered whether Rajapaksa would honour his offer to resign as President, amid signs that key members of the erstwhile powerful ruling family were attempting to flee in the face of massive public anger.

Rajapaksa, whose whereabouts were not known since Friday, had informed both the Speaker of parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe that he would resign on July 13, days after protesters stormed his official residence in rage over the island nation’s worst economic crisis.

Speaker Abeywardena is expected to publicly announce President's resignation to the nation on Wednesday.