Ex-Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe arrested

Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested former President Ranil Wickremesinghe over allegations of using government funds for a personal trip.

He was taken into custody on Friday (August 22) when he appeared at the CID headquarters to give a statement. He may be produced in Colombo’s Fort Magistrate Court today.

The politician, who assumed office following the 2022 public uprising, was defeated in the 2024 election. Previously, Ranil Wickremesinghe had served seven terms as Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister.

According to News18, in September 2023, after attending the G-77 conference in Havana, Cuba, Wickremesinghe visited London on his return. There, his wife, Professor Maitree Wickremesinghe, was honored by the University of Wolverhampton. It is alleged that he used government funds and official protocol for this personal trip.

CID officials stated that a case has been filed against him for using state money for personal travel. Earlier, his staff were also questioned regarding the matter.

BBC Sinhala reported that Ranil Wickremesinghe made 23 foreign trips during his presidency, with government spending totaling approximately 600 million rupees. While attention is currently on his London trip, scrutiny of the high costs of his previous trips has also resurfaced.

In 2022, amid a severe economic crisis and public uprising, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country, and Ranil Wickremesinghe took over leadership. Although he implemented reforms to stabilize the economy, he faced criticism for his close ties to the Rajapaksa administration and for making strict policy decisions.