Ranil Wickremesinghe arrested

Former Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe

Former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe was taken into custody by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) a short while ago.

He was summoned to the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) this morning (August 22) to provide a statement regarding an investigation into his visit to London, which was allegedly undertaken using government funds during his tenure as President.

He was arrested after arriving at the FCID to record a statement today (August 22) in connection with the ongoing investigation.

The visit took place on September 22 and 23, 2023, when Wickremesinghe traveled to London to attend the graduation ceremony of his wife, Professor Maithree Wickremesinghe. Reports indicate that 10 individuals accompanied the former President on this trip.

As part of the ongoing probe, the CID has already recorded statements from the former President’s Secretary, Saman Ekanayake, and his former Private Secretary, Sandra Perera.

Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Fort Magistrate’s Court before being produced before the magistrate

Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe arrives at the Fort Magistrate’s Court before being produced before the magistrate.


UPDATE – 10:05 PM:

Former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has been remanded until August 26, 2025.

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