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Ranil Wickremesinghe, the former leader of Sri Lanka, was detained by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Friday over allegations of misusing government funds, according to local broadcaster Ada Derana. The 76-year-old was taken into custody after arriving at the CID headquarters in Colombo to provide a statement regarding his trip to London for his wife’s graduation. The police spokesperson in Sri Lanka did not immediately confirm the arrest, and Wickremesinghe’s office had no comment when contacted by Reuters. He was scheduled to appear in court later that day.
Wickremesinghe, who has served as the country’s prime minister a record six times, became president in 2022 amid a severe financial crisis on the island nation. As the leader of the United National Party (UNP), he assumed office after massive protests and the forced resignation and departure of his predecessor, Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
In last year’s presidential election — the first conducted amidst the economic turmoil — Wickremesinghe finished third, behind runner-up Anura Kumara Dissanayake, a Marxist-leaning candidate, and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa. The election outcome was seen as a referendum on Wickremesinghe’s attempted economic recovery, which involved austerity measures that were unpopular with the public.
Descending from a prominent political and business family with extensive media interests, Wickremesinghe entered politics early. At age 29, in 1978, he was appointed the youngest cabinet minister in the country by his uncle, President Junius Jayewardene. Following the assassination of several senior colleagues in 1994, Wickremesinghe took charge as leader of the UNP.
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