Former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for allegedly misusing state funds for a personal trip to the UK during his presidency in 2023.
Colombo: In a dramatic development, Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Friday arrested former President Ranil Wickremesinghe after he appeared to give a statement over allegations that he misused state funds for a personal overseas trip during his presidency.
Wickremesinghe, who led the country from 2022 to 2024, is accused of diverting government resources to finance a visit to the United Kingdom in September 2023, where he allegedly attended the PhD graduation ceremony of his wife, Professor Maithree Wickremesinghe, at the University of Wolverhampton.
London Trip Under Investigation
According to documents submitted to the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court, the UK stopover was added to a broader official tour that also included visits to Cuba and the United States. Investigators argue that the London leg had no official agenda and was instead a private excursion packaged as state business.
The CID claims roughly Rs. 16.9 million in public funds were spent on the trip, with a 10-member delegation accompanying the former president—escalating costs and raising further suspicion.
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