Sri Lankan police escort former president Ranil Wickremesinghe to court in Colombo as the government intensifies its anti-corruption crackdown
Colombo, Sri Lanka — Former Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe was arrested on Friday, becoming the most senior opposition figure to be detained under President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s sweeping anti-corruption drive.
Police confirmed that Wickremesinghe, 76, was taken into custody after questioning over a September 2023 stopover in London, where he attended a university ceremony honoring his wife. Authorities allege he used state resources for what was deemed a private visit.
“We are producing him before the Colombo Fort magistrate,” a police detective told AFP, adding that charges include misuse of government funds and the deployment of state-paid bodyguards for personal purposes.
Wickremesinghe, who lost the presidency to Dissanayake in September, has denied wrongdoing, insisting his wife, Maithree, covered her own expenses. His office previously dismissed allegations of abusing state resources.
The former president had traveled to London on his return from Havana, where he attended the G77 summit. Earlier this month, three of his senior aides were also interrogated by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
The arrest underscores the new government’s determination to root out entrenched corruption. Since taking office, Dissanayake’s administration has jailed former ministers and members of ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s family on corruption charges.
The country’s police chief was impeached and the prisons chief imprisoned in a wide-ranging purge of state institutions.
Wickremesinghe, who assumed the presidency in July 2022 after Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s resignation amid mass protests, was credited with stabilizing Sri Lanka’s economy by securing a $2.9 billion IMF bailout in early 2023. However, austerity measures including tax hikes and subsidy cuts eroded his popularity, contributing to his election defeat last year.
Despite his coalition’s small presence in parliament, Wickremesinghe remained a key opposition voice. His arrest now deepens political tensions as Dissanayake consolidates power under his leftist platform.
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