In brief
Wickremesinghe faces allegations of misusing state funds for personal travel.
Former Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe has been taken into custody, according to police reports, amid accusations of misusing state funds related to foreign trips during his presidency. Wickremesinghe, who served as president from 2022 to 2024, is scheduled to appear in a magistrates court in Colombo on Friday after providing a statement to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) earlier today.The 76-year-old politician is noted for stepping into the presidency following a severe economic crisis that led to significant civil unrest and the departure of his predecessor, Gotabaya Rajapaksa. During his administration, Wickremesinghe was credited with initiating the country's economic recovery and has held the prime minister position multiple times since the 1990s.Reports indicate that Wickremesinghe undertook 23 international trips, costing the state over Rs 600 million (approximately $2 million). The current charges stem from a 2023 stopover in the UK while returning from a G77 summit in Cuba, where he and his wife participated in a ceremony at the University of Wolverhampton. The CID claims this stopover was a personal engagement funded by the government, a claim that Wickremesinghe has refuted. This is an ongoing story, with further updates anticipated.
