Allegation on spending Rs.1.27 billion for state tours: ranil will respond after indian tour

• The former President has gone on 4 tours in 2022, 14 tours in 2023 and 5 tours in 2024. 
• Minister Nalinda Jayatissa tabled a document containing the benefits which the country had gained from the state tours the former President had made during his tenure 

By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana   

Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe has spent Rs. 1.27 billion on 23 foreign tours from 2022 to 2024, Chief Government Whip Nalinda Jayatissa told Parliament yesterday.   

He said the former President has gone on 4 tours in 2022, 14 tours in 2023 and 5 tours in 2024.   

The former President has travelled to the UK in 2022 to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth of UK , to attend the funeral of the former Prime Minister of Japan while he has travelled to the Philippines to attend the 55th annual meeting of Asian Development Bank (ADB) Governors in 2022. He had also travelled to Egypt to attend COP 27 summit in 2022.   

He had visited the UK to participate in the coronation of King Charles, to attend Nikkei future of South Asia in Japan, to UK again to participate in the International Democrat Union Forum, to France to attend New Global Financing Pact in France and for an official visit to India in the year 2023. He has also visited Cuba,USA,UK, Germany, China, Maldives, UAE in 2023. Mr. Wickremesinghe had visited Switzerland, Uganda, Australia, Indonesia and India.   

Around 10 to 30 people have accompanied Mr. Wickremesinghe during each tour from 2022 to 2024.   

Minister Jayatissa said Mr. Wickremesinghe had visited the UK to attend the graduation of his spouse. However, Mr. Wickremesinghe has already denied using public funds for this tour.   
The Minister tabled a document containing the benefits which the country had gained from the state tours the former President had made during his tenure.