Former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe Arrested for Misuse of Government Funds

Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sri Lanka’s former President, was arrested on Friday by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for alleged misuse of government funds. The charges relate to his use of state money for a private overseas trip to England in September 2023. Wickremesinghe is accused of using public funds to attend a convocation ceremony of his wife, Professor Maithree Wickremesinghe, at a British university.

The CID is pressing charges that Wickremesinghe violated rules by using government resources for personal purposes during this trip. Police officials confirmed that Wickremesinghe was produced before the Colombo Fort magistrate as part of the ongoing investigation. Earlier, authorities had questioned his staff regarding the travel expenses associated with the trip.

Wickremesinghe maintained that his wife bore all her own travel costs and that the state did not fund the visit. However, the CID alleges that the former President’s entire travel and his bodyguards’ expenses were paid for by the government, contradicting his statements. This case adds to a series of investigations into alleged corruption involving senior Sri Lankan officials.

Ranil Wickremesinghe became President in July 2022, taking over the remainder of Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s term after mass protests sparked by economic mismanagement and corruption. He is credited with stabilizing Sri Lanka’s economy following one of its worst financial crises in 2022. Despite his efforts, Wickremesinghe lost the presidential election in September later that year.

This arrest marks a significant development in Sri Lanka’s ongoing fight against political corruption, signaling strict scrutiny of former leaders’ conduct. The case continues to unfold amid a tense political and economic backdrop in the island nation.