Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe is scheduled to be produced before the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court today afternoon. He is the first Executive President of Sri Lanka to be arrested and remanded on charges of corruption.
The 76-year-old leader, remanded until today (26), was first admitted to the Prison Hospital and later transferred to the National Hospital, where he is receiving treatment in the Intensive Care Unit for dehydration. The transfer followed recommendations by prison doctors after medical examinations.
Mr. Wickremesinghe was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on August 22 over allegations of misusing state funds. The case relates to a September 2023 visit to the United Kingdom, where he and his wife, Professor Maithree Wickremesinghe, attended a University of Wolverhampton ceremony. The trip took place while returning from Havana, where he had attended the G77 summit.
The former President insists that his wife bore her own expenses and that no public funds were used. However, the CID alleges that state money covered his travel on a private visit, as well as security costs. He was remanded under the Public Property Act until August 26.
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