Former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe Arrested Over Misuse of State Funds

Colombo, August 22 – Former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe was arrested on Friday on charges of misusing public funds. The 76-year-old leader was taken into custody by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at its headquarters, where he had been summoned to record a statement in connection with the case.

According to police, Wickremesinghe is accused of using state funds in September 2023 to travel to the United Kingdom to attend a private event, his wife Maitree’s convocation ceremony. Reports allege that while returning from an official programme in the United States, Wickremesinghe diverted to the UK at government expense to join his wife’s personal event. The CID had earlier questioned his staff about the expenses incurred during that trip.

Wickremesinghe assumed the presidency in July 2022, completing the remainder of Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s term after Rajapaksa resigned amid the country’s severe economic crisis. He remained in office until September 2024 and was credited with guiding Sri Lanka out of its most turbulent financial period.

A veteran political figure, Wickremesinghe has served as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka six times during his career. His arrest marks a significant development in Sri Lankan politics, raising questions about accountability in the use of public resources by senior leaders.

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