Case against ex-President Ranil to be taken up in court today

Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who became the first Executive President of Sri Lanka to be arrested and remanded, is scheduled to be produced before the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court today.

Former President Wickremesinghe, who was remanded until tomorrow (26), was initially admitted to the Prison Hospital, and then transferred to the National Hospital.

He was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) due to dehydration, according to hospital sources.

The transfer was carried out on the recommendation of Prison Hospital doctors following medical examinations.

Former President Wickremesinghe, was remanded until August 26 after being arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on August 22.

Wickremesinghe was taken into custody for allegedly “misusing government funds” after being questioned about a September 2023 visit to the United Kingdom to attend a ceremony for his wife at a British university while he was head of state.

Ranil Wickremesinghe had stopped in London in 2023 on his way back from Havana, where he attended a G77 summit.

He and his wife, Professor Maithree Wickremesinghe, attended a University of Wolverhampton ceremony.

Wickremesinghe had maintained that his wife met her own travel expenses and that no state funds were used.

However, the CID alleged that Wickremesinghe used state funds for his travel on a private visit and that the state also paid his bodyguards.
Following his arrest, he was produced before Colombo Fort Magistrate Nilupuli Lankapura.

The Magistrate then decided to place him under remand custody until August 26 after the case was filed under the Public Property Act.