The case filed against former President Ranil Wickremesinghe over the alleged misuse of state funds during an official visit to London is scheduled to be taken up before the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court today. The inquiry, which focuses on government spending incurred during official travel, continues to be investigated by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
The legal action centers on allegations regarding the misuse of approximately Rs. 16.9 million in public funds. The expenditures were connected to Wickremesinghe attending his wife’s graduation ceremony in London during an official overseas trip in late 2023. That London engagement formed part of a broader official mission to both the United States and the United Kingdom, which was conducted alongside a government-funded delegation.
Key Developments
- The Criminal Investigation Department is probing the alleged misuse of Rs. 16.9 million in state finances linked to a late 2023 official trip to the United States and the United Kingdom.
- Wickremesinghe was arrested by the CID on August 22, 2025, and remanded until August 26, marking the first time a former Sri Lankan head of state has been held in remand custody.
- Following the presentation of medical reports, the former president was released on three personal bail bonds amounting to Rs. 5 million each.
The proceedings before the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court mark the latest step in the ongoing judicial scrutiny surrounding the funding of the former head of state’s overseas delegation.