Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe of Sri Lanka has been taken into custody by local authorities amid allegations of financial misconduct related to his official travels abroad. This emergent situation, confirmed by police officials, stems from discrepancies regarding the use of state funds during his presidency from 2022 to 2024.
Wickremesinghe, who stepped into the presidential role following a significant economic crisis that led to the ousting of his predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa, is now set to confront judicial proceedings. Reports suggest that he has already provided a testimonial account to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in Colombo, where he is scheduled to appear in court Friday.
Over the span of his presidency, Wickremesinghe undertook 23 international trips, reportedly costing the state over Rs 600 million (approximately $2 million). The most controversial trip leading to his arrest occurred in 2023, when he made a stopover in the UK on his return from the G77 summit in Cuba. During that trip, he and his wife attended a ceremony at the University of Wolverhampton.
The CID asserts that this particular visit was a private matter misconstrued as an official duty, an allegation that Wickremesinghe vehemently denies. His administration had previously been credited with initiating economic recovery in Sri Lanka, but now faces scrutiny over these financial claims.
As this story unfolds, further updates are eagerly anticipated by both the public and media circles in Sri Lanka and beyond.
Wickremesinghe, who stepped into the presidential role following a significant economic crisis that led to the ousting of his predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa, is now set to confront judicial proceedings. Reports suggest that he has already provided a testimonial account to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in Colombo, where he is scheduled to appear in court Friday.
Over the span of his presidency, Wickremesinghe undertook 23 international trips, reportedly costing the state over Rs 600 million (approximately $2 million). The most controversial trip leading to his arrest occurred in 2023, when he made a stopover in the UK on his return from the G77 summit in Cuba. During that trip, he and his wife attended a ceremony at the University of Wolverhampton.
The CID asserts that this particular visit was a private matter misconstrued as an official duty, an allegation that Wickremesinghe vehemently denies. His administration had previously been credited with initiating economic recovery in Sri Lanka, but now faces scrutiny over these financial claims.
As this story unfolds, further updates are eagerly anticipated by both the public and media circles in Sri Lanka and beyond.
