Former Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake has been further remanded until February 18 by the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court.
The case stems from a complaint filed against former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, alleging the misappropriation of more than Rs. 16.2 million in public funds. It is alleged that the funds were used to finance a private foreign visit to attend his wife’s graduation ceremony in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2023.
Ekanayake has been arrested and remanded in custody on suspicion of aiding and abetting the offence by approving over Rs. 1.62 billion for former President Ranil Wickremesinghe to undertake the said private visit to the UK.
Accordingly, when the case was taken up today (11) before Colombo Fort Magistrate Isuru Neththikumara, the court ordered that Saman Ekanayake be further remanded until February 18, after considering submissions made by Additional Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris, appearing on behalf of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and President’s Counsel Kalinga Indatissa, who represented the defendant.
