Ranil Wickremesinghe arrested, charged, remanded

• Tension flares up
• Gave a lengthy statement to the CID before his arrest
• Took over the country during its worst-ever economic crisis
•  Arrest became a major news item in the international  media
• Charged for misuse of public funds
• Served as President from 2022 to 2024
• He served six separate terms as prime minister starting from 1993  

By Huzefa Aliasgar and Pranavesh Sivakumar

In the NPP government’s anti-corruption blitz, former  President Ranil Wickremesinghe turned out to be the first ever past Head  of State to be arrested, charged and remanded until August 26 on charges  of misuse of public funds in undertaking a foreign tour during his time  in office.   

Upon the ruling being announced, tension flared up in the  court area with the police Special Task Force (STF) being deployed to  defuse the situation.  

Mr. Wickremesinghe served as President from 2022 to 2024.  He took over the country, which was grappling with its worst-ever  economic crisis that triggered a wave of public protests and  demonstrations, chasing out the then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa from  office.   

His arrest was related to a stopover made in the United  Kingdom in 2023, on his way back from a G77 summit in Cuba. On that  occasion, he and his wife, Prof. Maithree Wickremesinghe had attended a  University of Wolverhampton ceremony.  

Before his arrest yesterday, he gave a lengthy statement to  the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). After that, he was taken  to the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court. Court hearing went on for  hours. After the conclusion of submissions, Fort Magistrate Nilupuli Lankapura took nearly three hours to deliver her ruling.    

The leaders of political parties of different hues remained  in the court premises in an apparent bid to express solidarity with  him.   

Among them were former President Maithripala Sirisena, Sri  Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) National Organiser MP Namal Rajapaksa and  former Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena. Besides, a host of sitting  and current MPs were present at the court premises. Lengthy  proceedings were carried out in court with submissions, and, power  disruption marred court events at one point. The Ceylon Electricity  Board (CEB) restored the power supply.   

The arrest became a major news item in the international  media, with leading media organisations reporting it instantly. BBC and  India’s The Hindu newspaper’s online edition carried the news under the  same headline ‘Sri Lanka’s former president Ranil Wickremesinghe  arrested’.  

Mr. Wickremesinghe served six separate terms as prime  minister starting from  1993. He became the leader of the United  National Party (UNP) in 1994. He first entered Parliament in 1977.