Sri Lanka’s Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe Arrested on Corruption Charges

Former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe was arrested by the CID on Friday. The arrest is linked to claims of misuse of public funds for private travel, specifically concerning his wife, Prof. Maithree Wickremesinghe’s attendance at a graduation ceremony in London. Wickremesinghe, 76, was at the CID office Friday morning to give a statement and was subsequently taken into custody. He will be presented before the Colombo Fort Magistrate. The CID alleges that during a trip to London in September 2023, Wickremesinghe improperly used government resources. This included covering the costs of his personal security from the state treasury. In September 2023, Wickremesinghe attended the G77 summit in Havana, Cuba, and later stopped in London to attend his wife’s graduation. The CID alleges that the travel was for personal reasons but was funded by the government. Wickremesinghe denies the allegations. He insists his wife paid for her travel and accommodation, and that no government funds were used for personal purposes. He labeled the action as politically motivated and lacking factual basis. Previously, police had questioned Wickremesinghe’s staff and officials about the travel expenses. Investigative agencies confirmed the arrest was made after securing sufficient evidence. Wickremesinghe assumed the presidency in July 2022 after Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned amid anti-corruption protests. He is praised for his handling of the economic crisis. He lost a closely fought election to the leftist candidate A.K. Dissanayake in September 2024.