Former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe Arrested Over Alleged Misuse of Public Funds

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.

Former Staff Questioned

As part of the probe, officials have already grilled several members of Wickremesinghe’s former presidential team, including Saman Ekanayake (ex-presidential secretary) and Sandra Perera (ex-private secretary). Investigators hinted that additional staff from his administration could soon be summoned in connection with the case.

Wickremesinghe Rejects Allegations

The former president has flatly denied the charges, with his office calling them “false and misleading.” His media team issued a statement insisting that no visit took place at the University of Wolverhampton on the dates cited and promised a formal rebuttal after legal consultations.

Despite his stance, Friday’s arrest makes Wickremesinghe the most senior political figure to be detained in Sri Lanka in recent memory, a move being hailed by anti-corruption observers as a major test of accountability at the highest political level.

A Polarising Career

Leader of the United National Party (UNP), Wickremesinghe has been a towering force in Sri Lankan politics for nearly five decades. First entering Parliament in 1977, he went on to serve an unprecedented six terms as Prime Minister before being elevated to the presidency in 2022, after the resignation of Gotabaya Rajapaksa during Sri Lanka’s economic collapse.

But his political life has often been mired in controversy. He has long faced criticism over alleged links to the Batalanda torture complex during the 1980s and 1990s. A 1995 Presidential Commission of Inquiry accused him of being aware of, and having administrative responsibility for, the covert detention centre used against members of the JVP (Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna).

Although the Commission recommended stripping him of his civic rights, the proposal was never acted upon, and no criminal charges followed. The issue resurfaced earlier this year after a widely criticised interview he gave to Al Jazeera.

What Comes Next

The CID is set to produce Wickremesinghe before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court for a bail hearing in the coming days. Legal analysts argue this arrest marks a new phase in Sri Lanka’s anti-corruption drive, one that could eventually put several other high-profile political heavyweights under the spotlight.