Sri Lankan police have arrested former president Ranil Wickremesinghe over allegations of misusing public funds

FILE -Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe inspects a military guard of honour after arriving at the parliamentary complex in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Aug. 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena, File)

FILE -Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe inspects a military guard of honour after arriving at the parliamentary complex in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Aug. 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena, File)

FILE -Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe inspects a military guard of honour after arriving at the parliamentary complex in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Aug. 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena, File)

FILE -Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe inspects a military guard of honour after arriving at the parliamentary complex in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Aug. 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena, File)

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka police on Friday arrested the country’s former president and senior opposition politician Ranil Wickremesinghe over allegations of misusing public funds during his tenure as president, an aide said.

Wickremesinghe, who served as the island nation’s president from 2022 to 2024, was arrested on allegations of using public funds to attend his wife’s graduation ceremony in London after an official visit to the U.S.

Wickremesinghe is the first Sri Lankan former head of state to be arrested.

One of his aides told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity that Wickremesinghe has been taken to a court after being arrested by the Financial Crimes Investigations Department.

Sri Lanka’s political establishment has been thrown into controversy after opposition MPs questioned how a ruling regime linked YouTuber appeared to predict the arrest of former president Ranil Wickremesinghe in advance.

In a post on X this morning, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) leader Sajith Premadasa described the episode as a blow to public faith in law and order.

“A YouTuber predicting the arrest of a former President before it even happens? That can’t be a coincidence, could it be planned?” Premadasa asked. “If true, it’s a sad day when something as sacred as law and order is reduced to cheap theatrics.”

MP Chamara Sampath Dasanayake also raised alarm over a video posted by actor-turned-YouTuber Sudaththa Thilakasiri, in which he claimed Wickremesinghe would be arrested on Friday.

“Before Ranil Wickremesinghe recorded a statement, he said he would be arrested today. Before the judge decides, ‘YouTube Suda’ gives the verdict. This is a joke,” Dasanayake said.

The comments come after Wickremesinghe, who served as president from 2022 to 2024, was arrested this morning by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) over allegations of misusing state funds for a private visit to London.

Meanwhile, former minister Ali Sabry took to social media to defend Wickremesinghe’s political record, warning that the arrest risked fuelling what he called a “cycle of hate and retribution.”

“Wickremesinghe played a key role in stabilising the country during three major crises: in 1993, following the assassination of President Ranasinghe Premadasa; in 2000, during Sri Lanka’s first recession; and in 2022, at the peak of the country’s worst economic crisis,” Sabry wrote.

“Against this backdrop, his arrest as predicted by a YouTuber is deeply troubling. Such actions reflect a disturbing trend of vindictive and destructive politics that undermine our institutions and future. This cycle must end. Sri Lanka deserves a politics of reason and stability.”

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COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lankan police on Friday arrested former president and senior opposition politician Ranil Wickremesinghe over allegations of misusing public funds during his tenure as president, police said.

Wickremesinghe, who served as the island nation’s president from 2022 to 2024, was arrested on allegations of using public funds to attend his wife’s graduation ceremony in London after an official visit to the U.S., police spokesman Fedrick Wootler told The Associated Press.

Wickremesinghe was later produced before a Magistrate court in the capital Colombo and after a lengthy hearing was ordered to be kept in remand until Aug. 26. He didn’t comment during the hearing and there was no immediate statement from his office.

A large crowd of supporters of Wickremesinghe gathered outside the court protested his arrest.

Wickremesinghe is the first Sri Lankan former head of state to be arrested and is the most high profile leader who is under investigation for corruption under President Anura Kumara Dissanayake ‘s government, which came to power last year promising to punish those accused of corruption under previous governments.

Dissanayake won the presidential election in September in an election that saw voters reject an old guard accused of leading the country into an economic crisis. Two months later, his party won a landslide victory in the parliamentary election that enabled him to form a strong government.

Already, more than a dozen political leaders of the previous government and ex-high government officials have been arrested and are under investigation for alleged corruption and malpractice.

Wickremesinghe became president after Sri Lanka’s economic upheaval led to a political crisis that forced then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign in 2022.

Wickremesinghe is credited with stabilizing the crumbling economy with inflation falling, the local currency strengthened and foreign reserves increased under his leadership. But he was severely criticized for implementing stringent austerity measures including raising taxes and utility bills that came as a part of a bailout package with the International Monetary Fund entered into by his government.

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Sri Lankan police on Friday arrested the country’s former president and senior opposition politician, Ranil Wickremesinghe, over allegations of misusing public funds during his tenure, authorities said.

According to police spokesman Fedrick Wootler, Wickremesinghe, who served as president from 2022 to 2024, was arrested on allegations of using state funds to attend his wife’s graduation ceremony in London following an official visit to the US.

Wickremesinghe’s aide, Danushka Ramanayake, confirmed that the former president was taken to court after being arrested by the Financial Crimes Investigations Department.

This marks the first time a former Sri Lankan head of state has been arrested, making Wickremesinghe the most high-profile figure facing corruption investigations under President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s administration. Dissanayake’s government, which came to power last year, has vowed to hold previous leaders accountable for alleged corrupt practices.

Dissanayake secured the presidency in September last year in an election that saw voters reject long-standing political figures accused of driving the nation into an economic crisis. Two months later, his party achieved a landslide victory in parliamentary elections, enabling him to form a strong government.

So far, more than a dozen political leaders from the previous administration and former senior government officials have been arrested and are under investigation for alleged corruption and financial misconduct.

Wickremesinghe assumed the presidency following the 2022 political upheaval triggered by Sri Lanka’s economic collapse, which forced then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign. While he is credited with stabilising the struggling economy—bringing down inflation, strengthening the local currency, and boosting foreign reserves—he faced significant criticism for introducing harsh austerity measures. These included tax hikes and increased utility bills as part of a bailout deal with the International Monetary Fund negotiated by his administration.

Faridah Abdulkadiri

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22nd August 2025 – (Colombo) Sri Lanka’s former president Ranil Wickremesinghe has been arrested on allegations of misusing state funds, police confirmed on Friday. He is facing three charges linked to overseas trips during his presidency. Wickremesinghe appeared at a magistrates’ court in Colombo after providing a statement to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) earlier in the day. His arrest marks the first time a former Sri Lankan president has been detained.

Having served as president from 2022 to 2024, Wickremesinghe assumed office amid the island’s worst economic crisis, which had led to widespread protests and the ousting of his predecessor, Gotabaya Rajapaksa. He is credited with steering the country towards economic recovery during his tenure.

According to BBC Sinhala, the 76-year-old undertook 23 foreign trips while in office, reportedly costing over Rs 600 million ($2 million/£1.4 million). The arrest specifically pertains to a 2023 stopover in the UK after attending a G77 summit in Cuba. During this visit, Wickremesinghe and his wife attended a University of Wolverhampton ceremony, which the CID alleges was a personal trip funded by state resources. Wickremesinghe has denied the accusations.

The investigation into the alleged misuse of funds was first referred to court in June.

Wickremesinghe, a lawyer by profession, has been a central figure in Sri Lankan politics since his election as an MP in 1977. He served as prime minister six times from the 1990s onwards and became leader of the United National Party (UNP) in 1994, where he implemented reforms to combat corruption within the party.

Despite numerous attempts to secure the presidency, Wickremesinghe only achieved the role in 2022 after Rajapaksa fled the country. At the time, his party had been almost entirely wiped out in the 2020 elections, leaving him as its sole parliamentary representative. He lost the 2024 presidential election to left-leaning candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake but remains a prominent and controversial figure in Sri Lankan politics.