Sri Lanka’s former president, Ranil Wickremesinghe, has been arrested in connection with alleged misuse of state funds, police confirmed. He faces three charges related to foreign trips taken during his presidency from 2022 to 2024.
Wickremesinghe appeared at Colombo’s magistrates’ court on Friday after providing a statement to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) earlier in the day. Despite applying for bail on health grounds, he has been remanded in custody.
The arrest centers on a stopover in the UK in 2023, when Wickremesinghe and his wife attended a University of Wolverhampton ceremony while returning from a G77 summit in Cuba. The CID alleges state funds were improperly used for this private visit, an accusation the former president denies.
Wickremesinghe, 76, is the first former Sri Lankan president to be arrested. A veteran politician, he served six terms as prime minister before assuming the presidency in 2022 following a nationwide economic crisis that forced his predecessor, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, to flee. He was credited with helping stabilize the economy and reviving the United National Party’s image after decades of political turmoil.
During his presidency, he reportedly undertook 23 foreign trips at a cost exceeding Rs 600 million ($2 million). His political career spans nearly five decades, beginning as a Member of Parliament in 1977, with multiple bids for the presidency before finally winning in 2022. He lost the 2024 election to left-leaning candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
Wickremesinghe’s arrest marks a historic moment in Sri Lankan politics, highlighting growing scrutiny over state spending and accountability for high-ranking officials.
-Peace News Desk