Colombo: Former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has been arrested by the CID in connection with the misuse of government funds. Police officials told AFP that the arrest followed questioning over his September 2023 trip to London. Wickremesinghe attended a ceremony honoring his wife, Maitri, at the University of Wolverhampton during the visit, which allegedly involved the use of state resources for personal purposes.
Authorities claim government funds were used for his travel expenses and security personnel, while Wickremesinghe earlier maintained that his wife had privately financed the trip. He is expected to be produced before the Colombo Fort Magistrate. Wickremesinghe took office in July 2022 after Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned amid mass protests, playing a key role in stabilizing Sri Lanka’s worst-ever economic crisis. However, he failed to secure re-election in September.
