Wickremesinghe, who served as president from 2022 to 2024, is accused of improper expenditures related to his international trips while in office, with specific scrutiny on a trip to the UK in 2023.
Former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe Arrested Over Fund Misuse Allegations
Former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe Arrested Over Fund Misuse Allegations
Former president Ranil Wickremesinghe is facing legal challenges as he has been arrested on charges of misusing state funds in Sri Lanka.
Former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has been arrested by police over allegations of misusing state funds connected to his overseas travel while in office. According to reports, the charges stem from his time as president from 2022 to 2024, during which he undertook 23 foreign trips at an estimated cost of over Rs 600 million (approximately $2 million).
Wickremesinghe's arrest comes as he prepares to appear in a magistrate's court in Colombo on Friday. Earlier, he provided a statement to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) concerning the accusations. Notably, one trip attracting significant attention was a stopover in the UK in 2023, after attending the G77 summit in Cuba, where Wickremesinghe and his wife participated in a university ceremony.
The CID allege that this UK visit was of a private nature and unjustifiably financed by state resources, a claim that Wickremesinghe has firmly denied.
The former president is recognized for taking charge during Sri Lanka's severe economic crisis, which ultimately led to the exit of his predecessor, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, amid widespread protests. With decades of political experience, including six prime ministerial terms from the 1990s, Wickremesinghe has been credited with assisting in the nation's economic recovery efforts.
As the situation is ongoing, further updates are expected, and the case is drawing significant attention within the country and beyond.
Wickremesinghe's arrest comes as he prepares to appear in a magistrate's court in Colombo on Friday. Earlier, he provided a statement to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) concerning the accusations. Notably, one trip attracting significant attention was a stopover in the UK in 2023, after attending the G77 summit in Cuba, where Wickremesinghe and his wife participated in a university ceremony.
The CID allege that this UK visit was of a private nature and unjustifiably financed by state resources, a claim that Wickremesinghe has firmly denied.
The former president is recognized for taking charge during Sri Lanka's severe economic crisis, which ultimately led to the exit of his predecessor, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, amid widespread protests. With decades of political experience, including six prime ministerial terms from the 1990s, Wickremesinghe has been credited with assisting in the nation's economic recovery efforts.
As the situation is ongoing, further updates are expected, and the case is drawing significant attention within the country and beyond.
