Former Lankan President Wickremesinghe arrested on charges of misuse of State funds

Colombo, Aug 22 (IANS) In a major development in the island nation, Former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe was taken into custody on Friday by the country’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the first such arrest of a former President in the nation’s history, local media reported.

Wickremesinghe was summoned by the CID over allegations of misuse of State funds and subsequently arrested following a four-hour-long statement.

Extensive security arrangements were made as Wickremesinghe was produced before the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court late Friday afternoon where a huge crowd of supporters had also gathered.

The investigation relates to Wickremesinghe's September 2023 visit to the United Kingdom during his tenure as President to attend a University of Wolverhampton graduation ceremony for his wife, Maithree Wickremesinghe. The investigators alleged that State funds were used for travel and security expenses.

According to the CID's investigation, the trip, which involved a group of 10, is estimated to have cost the Government approximately 16.9 million Lankan rupees.

However, the Former President dismissed the allegations, insisting that his wife covered her own expenses and no State funds were misused, Lankan newspaper 'Daily Mirror' reported.

Previously, as part of the ongoing investigation, the CID also took statements from his former Private Secretary, Sandra Perera, and former Presidential secretary Saman Ekanayake over their roles in arranging the visit.

Reports suggest that Perera was grilled for nearly six hours after she was summoned to the CID to record a statement in connection with the investigation into a foreign trip which was allegedly funded using financial allocations from the Presidential Secretariat.

Earlier in June, the CID informed the Fort Magistrate’s Court that it had initiated an investigation into the foreign trips made by the former President during his Presidency.

While laying out the facts before Court, CID officers stated that the probe is being carried out under the Offences Against Public Property Act.

Wickremesinghe became President in July 2022 after Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s resignation and was defeated in the September 2024 Presidential election.

--IANS

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