Colombo, Sri Lanka – The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Sri Lanka has arrested former President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday on allegations of misusing state funds. This is the first time a former Sri Lankan head of state has been taken into custody.
The investigation centres on a trip Wickremesinghe made to London in September 2023. While he was serving as President, he attended a graduation ceremony for his wife, Professor Maithree Wickremesinghe, at the University of Wolverhampton. Though the former President has denied the charges and insists that his wife bore her own costs, investigators allege that government money was improperly used to cover his travel and security expenses.
Wickremesinghe, aged 76, was taken into custody after providing a statement that lasted more than four hours. He was then produced before the Fort Magistrate’s Court in Colombo for legal proceedings.
Wickremesinghe, who served as President from July 2022 to September 2024, assumed the role after his predecessor, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, resigned amid the country’s severe economic crisis. He is widely credited with helping Sri Lanka secure a $2.9 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during his tenure.