Former Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe arrested
What's the story
Former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has been arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Colombo. The arrest comes after he was summoned to record a statement in an ongoing investigation. The probe relates to allegations of misuse of state funds during a personal trip to London when he was president in 2023.
Fund misappropriation
Allegations of misuse of state funds
The allegations against Wickremesinghe stem from a trip to London for his wife Professor Maithree Wickremesinghe's graduation ceremony at the University of Wolverhampton. The event reportedly took place on September 22-23, 2023. At the time of the London trip, Wickremesinghe was on an official state visit to Cuba and the United States. He then traveled from the United States to the United Kingdom for what is being described as a personal visit.
Arrest update
Wickremesinghe was on official state visit to Cuba, US
According to CID investigations, 10 people accompanied the former president on the trip, which cost the government around Rs. 16.9 million. Earlier this month, Wickremesinghe's former presidential secretary, Saman Ekanayake and former private secretary Sandra Perera were questioned over their roles in arranging the visit. The former president has denied all allegations, with his office calling reports of the London visit false and misleading.
Political legacy
Controversial political career
Wickremesinghe's arrest has revived public interest in his controversial political career, including his alleged involvement in the Batalanda torture complex during the 1980s and 1990s. A Presidential Commission of Inquiry had accused him of administrative responsibility over a covert detention and torture site. Although no criminal charges were brought against him, the Commission recommended stripping him of civic rights—a recommendation that was never implemented. Wickremesinghe served as Sri Lanka's president from 2022 to 2023.