Ranil in Custody

Colombo woke up to a political earthquake today when former President Ranil Wickremesinghe was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) after a lengthy four-hour statement over allegations of misusing state funds.

The probe focuses on his September 2023 trip to London, where Wickremesinghe attended the University of Wolverhampton graduation ceremony of his wife, Professor Maithree Wickremesinghe. Investigators allege that government money was spent on his travel and security.

Wickremesinghe, visibly calm but firm, has rejected the allegations, insisting his wife paid her own expenses and that no state funds were misused.

CID officials had earlier submitted evidence to the Fort Magistrate’s Court and recorded statements from his former private secretary Sandra Perera and former presidential secretary Saman Ekanayake. After today’s questioning, he was formally taken into custody and is expected to be produced before court shortly.

This arrest marks an unprecedented moment in Sri Lankan history: Ranil Wickremesinghe, who became president in July 2022 after Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s resignation and lost re-election in September 2024, is now the first former head of state ever arrested.

Political insiders describe the move as “historic” while his allies are already crying foul, calling it a politically motivated vendetta. Meanwhile, Colombo’s social and political circles are brimming with speculation: Is this the beginning of a genuine accountability drive, or just another chapter in the island’s never-ending political drama?