Former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe was taken into custody by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) after being questioned over accusations of misusing nearly Rs 17 million in state funds for what is alleged to have been a personal overseas trip to London. Wickremesinghe was arrested on Friday following his appearance before the CID to provide a statement regarding the matter.
The investigation focuses on a foreign trip said to have occurred on September 22 and 23, 2023, during which the former president was accompanied by around ten individuals. Reports indicate that the journey was primarily for personal purposes.
According to officials, the trip was made to the United Kingdom for the purpose of attending a university graduation ceremony in London. Authorities allege that although the nature of the visit was personal, government funds worth approximately Rs 17 million were used to cover the expenses.
As part of the inquiry, statements had previously been obtained from Saman Ekanayake, who served as the former secretary to the president, and Sandra Perera, who worked as Wickremesinghe’s private secretary while he was in office.
Sources revealed that the CID contacted Wickremesinghe on Tuesday, after which he notified them through his legal representatives that he would be available on Friday. Accordingly, he appeared before the investigators, where his statement was officially recorded.
The CID is now expected to forward the statement provided by Wickremesinghe to the Attorney General’s Department for further review and possible legal action.
There had been widespread speculation on Thursday that Wickremesinghe might be arrested the following day. However, by late evening, some sources claimed that he would likely be permitted to leave the CID premises along with his lawyers once his statement had been taken.
