Daijiworld Media Network – Colombo

Colombo, Aug 22: Sri Lanka’s former President Ranil Wickremesinghe was arrested on Friday by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) over allegations of misusing state funds for a private overseas trip.

Police said the 76-year-old leader used government money to travel to England in September 2023, where he attended a University of Wolverhampton convocation ceremony of his wife, Professor Maithree Wickremesinghe.

“We are producing him before the Colombo Fort magistrate,” an officer told AFP, confirming charges of using state resources for personal purposes. The CID also alleged that government funds were spent on his security detail during the visit.

Wickremesinghe, however, has denied the charges, maintaining that his wife’s expenses were met by her personally and not by the state. His staff had earlier been questioned by investigators regarding the travel costs.

The trip took place when Wickremesinghe was returning from Havana after attending a G77 summit. He had made a stopover in London before proceeding home.

Wickremesinghe assumed presidency in July 2022 following Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s resignation amid mass protests over corruption and economic mismanagement. Widely credited with stabilising the economy after the 2022 financial crisis, he lost his re-election bid in September 2024.