Ex-Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe arrested: The 'costly trip' that landed him in custody

Sri Lanka's former president Ranil Wickremesinghe (C) gestures as he arrives to appear before a court after his arrest in Colombo on August 22, 2025.

Sri Lanka’s former president Ranil Wickremesinghe was arrested on Friday in Colombo by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). He was taken into custody when he arrived to give a statement in a case that accuses him of misusing government money for a private overseas trip. The 76-year-old politician is expected to be presented before the Colombo Fort Magistrate Court.

The case centres on a visit Wickremesinghe made to the United Kingdom in September 2023. On his way back from the G77 summit in Havana, Cuba, he stopped in London to attend a University of Wolverhampton event where his wife, Professor Maithree Wickremesinghe, was being honoured. The CID says public funds and state security were used even though the visit was not an official one.

Wickremesinghe has denied the charges. He insists that his wife paid her own expenses and that no government money was used for personal purposes.

The allegations and his travels

Police say the London stopover was treated as a private visit but still involved public money. The CID claims government resources covered travel and security. His staff has also been questioned about costs linked to the trip.

This controversy comes against the backdrop of his wider record of overseas travel as president. According to BBC Sinhala, Wickremesinghe made 23 foreign trips during his presidency between 2022 and 2024. These trips reportedly cost the Sri Lankan state over Rs 600 million. While the London trip is the one under investigation, the overall spending has raised questions at home.

Wickremesinghe’s presidency and what comes next

Ranil Wickremesinghe became president in July 2022 after Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned during mass protests over Sri Lanka’s economic collapse. He held the post until 2024, when he lost his re-election bid. His leadership is remembered for tough economic measures that helped stabilise the country but also drew criticism for their impact on ordinary people.

He has been one of Sri Lanka’s most experienced politicians, serving as prime minister six times and leading the United National Party for decades. His political career stretches back to the late 1970s, making him one of the most familiar figures in the country’s public life.

The case is now in court. Wickremesinghe will appear before a magistrate, who will decide whether he should be released, kept in custody, or formally charged. The legal process is still at an early stage, and more details are expected to emerge as the proceedings move forward.