Former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe was arrested today by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Colombo over allegations that he misused state funds to finance a personal trip to London during his presidency. The arrest marks a dramatic turn in an investigation that has drawn wide public attention and renewed debate on accountability at the highest levels of government.
The case revolves around a foreign tour undertaken by Ranil in September 2023, when he officially visited the United States and Cuba but diverted to London on September 22–23 to attend his wife’s graduation ceremony. Investigators allege that approximately Rs. 16.9 million in public funds were spent on this stopover, which the CID has determined was of a personal nature rather than an official state engagement. Reports also indicate that ten individuals accompanied him on the trip, further inflating state expenditure.
In recent months, the CID has gathered testimony from several senior aides who served in the Presidential Secretariat, including former Presidential Secretary Saman Ekanayake and former Private Secretary Sandra Perera. Earlier this year, police submitted a detailed B-report to the Colombo Magistrate’s Court outlining suspicions of financial misconduct linked to the trip.
Ranil, who appeared before the CID today to provide a statement, was formally taken into custody after questioning. His statement is expected to be forwarded to the Attorney General’s Department for further action, which may include formal charges.
The arrest has significant political and legal implications in Sri Lanka, where public trust in leadership remains fragile amid a slow economic recovery. Analysts suggest that the case could set an important precedent in determining how personal and official expenses of state leaders are scrutinized, potentially reshaping standards of governance and accountability.
For Ranil—who has long maintained close ties with Maldivian leadership and played an influential role in regional diplomacy—the development carries added weight. His arrest will be closely watched in Malé, where successive governments have engaged with him on trade, security, and Indian Ocean cooperation, underscoring how Sri Lanka’s domestic political turbulence can reverberate across the Maldives and the wider region.
