Former Sri Lankan President Wickremesinghe arrested on allegations of misusing state funds

Sri Lankan police have arrested former president Ranil Wickremesinghe over allegations of misusing public funds
FILE -Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe inspects a military guard of honour after arriving at the parliamentary complex in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Aug. 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena, File)

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

FILE -Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe inspects a military guard of honour after arriving at the parliamentary complex in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Aug. 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena, File)
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Aug 22, 2025
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COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka police on Friday arrested the country’s former president and senior opposition politician Ranil Wickremesinghe over allegations of misusing public funds during his tenure as president, an aide said.

Wickremesinghe, who served as the island nation’s president from 2022 to 2024, was arrested on allegations of using public funds to attend his wife’s graduation ceremony in London after an official visit to the U.S.

Wickremesinghe is the first Sri Lankan former head of state to be arrested.

One of his aides told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity that Wickremesinghe has been taken to a court after being arrested by the Financial Crimes Investigations Department.

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