Overview

• He was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department after questioning about a September 2023 London stopover to attend a University of Wolverhampton ceremony for his wife.
• Police allege public money covered the trip and security, with estimates around Rs 16.9–17 million, while Wickremesinghe denies misuse and says his wife paid her own expenses.
• The former president was produced at the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court and remanded pending the next hearing later in August.
• Investigators previously recorded statements from former aides Saman Ekanayake and Sandra Perera regarding arrangements for the visit.
• It is the first arrest of a former Sri Lankan head of state and comes as President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s administration pursues high‑profile corruption cases.