Colombo’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) today recorded a statement from former President Ranil Wickremesinghe as part of an ongoing probe into allegations of financial misconduct during his tenure.
After recording the statement, he was arrested and will be produced in court.
The investigation centers on claims that Wickremesinghe diverted public funds to finance a private trip to London in September 2023, where he reportedly attended the PhD graduation ceremony of his wife, Professor Maithree Wickramasinghe, at the University of Wolverhampton. According to police submissions to the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court, the visit was folded into a broader overseas tour that included official stops in Cuba and the United States—but the UK leg, investigators argue, lacked any formal state engagements.
Documents submitted in court allege that the London trip involved a delegation of ten individuals and cost the government approximately Rs. 16.9 million. Earlier this month, CID officers questioned two senior aides—former presidential secretary Saman Ekanayake and private secretary Sandra Perera—regarding their roles in organizing the travel.
Wickremesinghe, who held office from 2022 to 2024, is now the highest-ranking political figure to be arrested in recent memory. His detention comes amid heightened public scrutiny of corruption and financial abuse among Sri Lanka’s political elite—an issue that has long simmered beneath the surface with few consequences.
In response, Wickremesinghe’s office has categorically denied the allegations, dismissing reports of the Wolverhampton visit as “false and misleading.” A formal statement is expected following legal consultations.
As the veteran United National Party (UNP) leader—who first entered Parliament in 1977 and served multiple terms as prime minister—prepares to face court proceedings, Colombo’s political establishment braces for the fallout.
(With the inputs from Tamil Guardian)