Sri Lanka ex-president Wickremesinghe arrested over London trip funds

Colombo, Sri Lanka — Former president Ranil Wickremesinghe was arrested on Friday by the Criminal Investigation Department on charges of misusing state funds during a private overseas trip, authorities said. He was taken to CID headquarters to record a statement and is expected to appear before the Colombo Fort Magistrate as the inquiry proceeds. The arrest marks a rare high-profile legal action against a former head of state in Sri Lanka and comes amid a broader push by the current government to scrutinize public spending by senior officials.

Officials say Wickremesinghe is accused of using government money to finance travel to London in September 2023, where his wife, Professor Maithree Wickremesinghe, was to be honored at a convocation ceremony at a British university. The trip occurred during a return journey from an official engagement in the United States and a stopover in London, with investigators alleging that state resources, including security personnel, were deployed for the private visit rather than official duties. He has consistently maintained that his wife’s travel expenses were paid privately and that no public funds were used for personal purposes.