Former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe was arrested on charges of corruption and remanded for four days by a court in the country on August 22. The 76-year-old Wickremesinghe was arrested in connection with a case being investigated by Sri Lanka’s main investigative agency, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). This is on suspicion of misuse of state property and funds. The CID is investigating a case related to a private trip Wickremesinghe made to London, the capital of the United Kingdom, while he was President. Wickremesinghe and 10 others who accompanied him traveled to the UK in September 2023 for a ceremony held by a London university to present a special award to Wickremesinghe’s wife, Maithree Wickremesinghe. The two-day trip cost $55,000 from the state budget.
After arresting Wickremesinghe in the case, the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court released him on bail considering his health condition. This was on a total bail of 15 million Sri Lankan rupees. Wickremesinghe, who was taken to the hospital after falling ill in jail, is still in the ICU of Colombo National Hospital. According to court documents, Wickremesinghe’s trip to London was initially listed as a private trip. However, the expenses incurred by those who traveled with Wickremesinghe were later covered from the state budget. The state alleges in court that Wickremesinghe misused these funds.
Wickremesinghe’s lawyers have submitted as evidence a letter sent by the University of Wolverhampton inviting Wickremesinghe to attend the award ceremony. The lawyers say this letter shows that the funds were spent for an official purpose. However, as this document was not previously included in official records and was not mentioned in witness statements, the court did not accept it as evidence. At the bail hearing, Wickremesinghe participated via internet from the National Hospital due to his health condition. His lawyers submitted documents to the court detailing his health condition. According to those documents, three of his four main coronary arteries are severely blocked. The lawyers also submitted a medical opinion from Dr. Rukshan Bellana, a doctor at the National Hospital.
In that document, Dr. Bellana said that Wickremesinghe’s blood pressure was very high and his diabetes condition was also very poor. He said that Wickremesinghe’s health needs to be closely monitored in this condition and that he needs immediate treatment for dehydration. He said that if this is not done, Wickremesinghe’s condition could worsen further. Considering these factors, the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court decided to release Wickremesinghe on bail. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for October 29. Although Wickremesinghe was released on bail, hospital officials have confirmed that he is still in the ICU. Dr. Bellana said that a special team of doctors had assessed Wickremesinghe’s condition and advised that he be kept in the ICU for another two to three days. He also noted that a bypass surgery or other operation may be needed very soon. He said that the problems caused by dehydration were slowly subsiding and other related issues were also gradually improving. As Wickremesinghe is now free, Dr. Bellana said he would be able to meet with his own team of lawyers even while in the hospital.
In this situation, public attention has also turned to Dr. Bellana’s own political views. Regarding rumors that Wickremesinghe was hospitalized for political purposes, Dr. Bellana said that the decision to treat Wickremesinghe in the ICU was not made by him or the hospital’s ICU. He said Wickremesinghe was admitted on the advice of the prison hospital. He said that the National Hospital does not want political games and is not a hospital that serves parties. He said that when Wickremesinghe was brought to that hospital, he was given the most complete treatment he needed. He said the problem would be if other people coming to that hospital for services were not given the same complete service.
Sri Lanka is now divided over Wickremesinghe’s case. Wickremesinghe’s supporters and members of his political party say that the charges against him are politically motivated. Supporters gathere gathered and protested in the area outside the court where the bail hearing was held. They celebrated in the area when it was decided to release Wickremesinghe on bail. While a police officer was injured in those protests, Wickremesinghe has called on opposition parties to work together to defend democracy. Three former presidents of Sri Lanka – Chandrika Kumaratunga, Mahinda Rajapaksa and Maithripala Sirisena – have also spoken in Wickremesinghe’s defense following his arrest. They condemned his arrest and described it as an attack on democracy. While Kumaratunga said Wickremesinghe’s arrest would affect the whole country, Rajapaksa visited Wickremesinghe while he was in custody. Sirisena said arresting Wickremesinghe was like putting blame on an innocent person and executing them.
Wickremesinghe’s party says there is also international concern about his case. They say details of the case have been requested by leaders of three countries and many international human rights organizations. Erik Solheim of Norway, who has previously mediated in some Sri Lankan issues, has questioned the charges against Wickremesinghe. He said it was Wickremesinghe who stood up to save the country when Sri Lanka’s economic and political situation was at its worst in 2022. He said that even if the allegations against Wickremesinghe were true, such offenses are not considered criminal in Western countries. However, he also noted and encouraged Sri Lanka’s efforts to eradicate corruption.
Critics of Wickremesinghe say the case needs to be looked at very closely and in detail. They say that misuse of public funds is a betrayal of state property. While Wickremesinghe was released on bail due to his health condition, some people say that ordinary citizens should also be treated according to the same rules as Wickremesinghe. Others say that although Wickremesinghe was released from prison due to health issues, the crimes he committed are more serious matters. They also note that people like Wickremesinghe should be treated under the same laws that apply to the general public.
Before assuming the presidency of Sri Lanka in July 2022, Wickremesinghe had served as Prime Minister of the country for six terms. He contested against the country’s current President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in the 2024 presidential election. However, he was not successful in the election. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is now working to eradicate corruption from Sri Lanka and stabilize the country’s situation. In this work, he is extensively examining cases involving political figures.
