Former President of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe, was arrested today by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Colombo after he appeared to record a statement regarding allegations of misusing public funds for a personal visit to the United Kingdom during his presidency, reported by
The arrest marks a dramatic turn in the ongoing investigation into whether Wickremesinghe, who served as President from 2022 to 2024, diverted government resources to fund a trip to attend the PhD graduation ceremony of his wife, Professor Maithree Wickremesinghe, at the University of Wolverhampton in September 2023.
Former President of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe, was arrested today by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Colombo after he appeared to record a statement regarding allegations of misusing public funds for a personal visit to the United Kingdom during his presidency.
The arrest marks a dramatic turn in the ongoing investigation into whether Wickremesinghe, who served as President from 2022 to 2024, diverted government resources to fund a trip to attend the PhD graduation ceremony of his wife, Professor Maithree Wickremesinghe, at the University of Wolverhampton in September 2023.
London visit under scrutiny
According to police documents submitted to the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court, the trip—part of a broader overseas tour that included official visits to Cuba and the United States—was allegedly extended to include the UK for personal reasons. Investigators claim the London segment of the journey included no official engagements, yet was financed using public funds amounting to approximately Rs. 16.9 million.
The CID stated that a ten-member delegation accompanied the former president, further inflating the cost of what officials now describe as a private excursion disguised as official travel.
Former presidential staff questioned
Earlier this month, CID officials also questioned Saman Ekanayake, Wickremesinghe’s former presidential secretary, and Sandra Perera, his former private secretary, regarding their roles in organizing the controversial trip. The CID has indicated that more former staffers may be summoned as part of the expanding probe.
Wickremesinghe denies allegations
Wickremesinghe’s office has rejected the allegations, calling the reports “false and misleading.” A statement from his media team claimed there was no visit to the University of Wolverhampton on the dates in question and asserted that a formal rebuttal would be issued following legal consultation.
Despite his denial, today's arrest makes Wickremesinghe the most senior political figure to be detained in Sri Lanka in recent years, amid mounting pressure on authorities to tackle corruption and abuse of power at the highest levels.
A long and controversial political career
Ranil Wickremesinghe, leader of the United National Party (UNP), has been a towering figure in Sri Lankan politics for nearly five decades. First elected to Parliament in 1977, he has served six terms as Prime Minister and assumed the presidency in 2022 following Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s resignation during Sri Lanka’s economic crisis.
His political career, however, has not been without controversy. Most notably, Wickremesinghe has long faced criticism over his alleged involvement in the Batalanda torture complex during the 1980s and 1990s. A 1995 Presidential Commission of Inquiry accused him of being aware of, and having administrative responsibility for, the Batalanda housing scheme, which was used as a covert detention and torture site targeting members of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP).
Though the Commission recommended that he be stripped of his civic rights, no criminal charges were ever filed, and the recommendation was never implemented. The allegations resurfaced earlier this year following a widely criticised interview he gave to Al Jazeera.
The CID is expected to produce Wickremesinghe before the Colombo Magistrate's Court for a bail hearing. Legal experts say the arrest signals a new phase in Sri Lanka’s anti-corruption drive, with more high-profile figures likely to come under investigation in the coming months.
