COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s former president Ranil Wickremesinghe was remanded in custody Friday as he became the most senior opposition figure to be hauled up in an anti-corruption crackdown by the new leftist government.
Anti-graft units have ramped up their investigations since President Anura Kumara Dissanayake came to power in September on a promise to fight endemic corruption in the impoverished South Asian nation.
Wickremesinghe, 76, who lost the last election to Dissanayake, was taken into custody after being questioned about a September 2023 visit to London to attend a ceremony for his wife at a British university, a police detective told AFP.
“The suspect (Wickremesinghe) will be held in custody till Tuesday, but considering his medical condition he could be admitted to the prison hospital or another hospital,” Magistrate Nilupuli Lankapura said ordering his remand.
Wickremesinghe, whose lawyers said was suffering from heart disease and diabetes, was charged under the Public Property Act and two counts of the penal code — “dishonest misappropriation of property” and “criminal breach of trust”.
The offences carry a maximum punishment of 20 years in jail and a fine not exceeding three times the value of misappropriated funds. – AFP
