Former President of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe, has been apprehended by authorities over allegations of the misappropriation of public funds, according to police reports. The investigation focuses on overseas trips he undertook while in office, specifically relating to a stopover in the United Kingdom in 2023 after attending the G77 summit in Cuba.
Wickremesinghe, who led the nation from 2022 until 2024, took office in the wake of Sri Lanka's dire economic turmoil that prompted mass protests and the resignation of his predecessor, Gotabaya Rajapaksa. While Wickremesinghe is credited with steering the country back towards economic stability, scrutiny over his tenure is now escalating.
The 76-year-old politician completed 23 international journeys during his presidency, costing the Sri Lankan treasury over Rs 600 million (approximately $2 million). The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has pointed to the trip to the UK as a prime example of misuse, where he and his wife participated in a ceremony at the University of Wolverhampton. The CID alleges that these were private endeavors funded by the state, a claim Wickremesinghe has vehemently rejected.
He is scheduled to appear before a magistrate's court in Colombo on Friday following an interrogation earlier in the day. This is an evolving situation, and updates are expected to follow as more details emerge regarding the charges against him.
