Colombo (Sri Lanka), Aug 22 (HS): In a dramatic political development, Sri Lanka’s former President Ranil Wickremesinghe was arrested on Thursday after being questioned for nearly four hours by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The case stems from allegations of misusing public funds during his September 2023 visit to London, undertaken to attend the graduation ceremony of his wife, Prof. Maithri Wickremesinghe, at the University of Wolverhampton.

Wickremesinghe, who lost the 2024 presidential polls, now holds the distinction of being the first former head of state in Sri Lanka’s history to be taken into custody.

According to a report in the Daily Mirror, CID officials allege that government funds were spent on travel and security arrangements for the London trip. The former President, however, has dismissed the charges, insisting that his wife bore her own expenses and that no state resources were misappropriated.

Before his arrest, CID had already recorded statements from Wickremesinghe’s former personal secretary, Sandra Perera, and ex-presidential secretary, Saman Ekanayake. These testimonies were later submitted before the Fort Magistrate’s Court as evidence.

After extended questioning on Thursday morning, Wickremesinghe was taken into custody. He is expected to be produced before the Fort Magistrate Court later in the day.

Wickremesinghe assumed the presidency in July 2022 following Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s resignation amid mass protests and economic turmoil, but his tenure was cut short when he lost the September 2024 election.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar