By Emeka Blast 
“Former Sri Lankan President Arrested Over Misuse of Funds”
In a historic development, Sri Lanka’s former President Ranil Wickremesinghe was arrested on Friday, August 22, 2025, by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on charges of misusing state funds during his presidency from 2022 to 2024. The 76-year-old, a six-time prime minister and leader of the United National Party (UNP), was detained after appearing at the CID headquarters in Colombo to record a statement, marking him as the first former head of state in Sri Lanka to face arrest. The charges stem from a September 2023 trip to London, where he allegedly used government resources for a private visit to attend his wife’s university ceremony.
According to a senior police official cited by AFP, Wickremesinghe was taken into custody following questioning about the London trip, part of a broader overseas tour after attending a G77 summit in Havana, Cuba. The CID alleges that state funds covered travel expenses and bodyguard costs for the private event at the University of Wolverhampton, where his wife, Professor Maithree Wickremesinghe, was honored. Local media, including Ada Derana, reported that the former president was produced before the Colombo Fort Magistrate Court on Friday afternoon, with formal charges expected to follow. The investigation, initiated in June 2025, also saw Wickremesinghe’s former presidential secretary Saman Ekanayake and private secretary Sandra Perera questioned earlier in August.
Wickremesinghe, who assumed the presidency in July 2022 after Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled amid mass protests over an economic crisis, has denied the allegations, insisting his wife’s travel expenses were privately funded. “No state money was used for personal purposes,” he stated in a June 2025 press release, per BBC Sinhala. However, the CID claims the trip cost over Rs 600 million ($2 million), part of 23 foreign trips during his tenure that have drawn scrutiny for their expense during Sri Lanka’s financial recovery.
The arrest has sent shockwaves through Sri Lanka’s political landscape, with supporters and critics divided. The UNP, led by Wickremesinghe, condemned the move as “political witch-hunting” ahead of upcoming elections, while the ruling National People’s Power (NPP) under President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who defeated Wickremesinghe in September 2024, hailed it as a step toward accountability. “No one is above the law,” an NPP spokesperson told The Hindu. On X, @CeylonDaily tweeted, “Wickremesinghe’s arrest is historic. Will justice prevail or is it politics? #SriLanka,” while @ColomboVibes posted, “Ranil arrested for misusing funds—about time! #Accountability.”
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, called for a fair and transparent legal process, warning against political interference. The case has intensified public scrutiny of state fund usage, especially as Sri Lanka continues to recover from its 2022 economic collapse, marked by fuel and food shortages. Wickremesinghe, credited with stabilizing the economy through austerity measures, remains a polarizing figure, with his arrest seen as both a bold anti-corruption move and a potential vendetta.
