It has been alleged that Wickremesinghe was returning from the US after an official engagement and visited the UK at the state's expense to attend the private engagement of his wife
Ranil Wickremesinghe assumed office in July 2022 and served till September 2024. File pic
Sri Lanka's former President Ranil Wickremesinghe was arrested on Friday for allegedly misusing government funds, stated police officials.
The 76-year-old leader was taken into custody at the headquarters of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Colombo, where he had been summoned to record a statement regarding the ongoing investigation, reported PTI.
According to police, Wickremesinghe is accused of using state funds to finance a visit to the United Kingdom in September 2023, where he attended a convocation ceremony of his wife, Prof Maithree. The alleged misuse occurred while he was returning from the United States after an official engagement and made a detour to the UK, with the expenses reportedly covered by the state.
CID sources informed that his staff had previously been questioned about the travel arrangements and expenses related to the trip, PTI reported.
Wickremesinghe, a seasoned politician, assumed office in July 2022 after Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned amidst massive public protests during Sri Lanka’s economic crisis. He served as President until September 2024, completing the remainder of Rajapaksa’s term. He is also known for having held the office of Prime Minister six times over his long political career.
Thai court acquits former PM Thaksin Shinawatra in royal defamation case
Thailand's former Prime Minister (PM) Thaksin Shinawatra was acquitted on Friday of a royal defamation charge, a serious offence under Thailand’s strict lese majeste laws that could have led to a 15-year prison sentence, news agency AP reported.
Thaksin, 76, appeared relieved as he left the courtroom, telling reporters the verdict in a single word: “Dismissal.”
His lawyer, Winyat Chatmontree, later confirmed the acquittal, which was also formally announced in a statement released by the Bangkok Criminal Court, reported AP.
Thailand’s lese majeste law, one of the most stringent in the world, punishes any perceived insult to the monarchy with a prison term ranging from three to 15 years. The law has increasingly been used in recent years to target critics of the government, including student activists.
According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, over 270 individuals have been charged under the law since early 2020, AP reported.
The court stated that the evidence and witness testimonies presented were not strong enough to warrant a conviction.
(With PTI and AP inputs)
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