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Former President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wicreshehe has been arrested in connection with the alleged abuse of funds, police said.
The prosecution refers to the trips he has taken abroad while serving as president.
He must appear in a magistrate court in the capital Colombo on Friday, having already filed a statement to the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) earlier during the day.
Wickremesinghe was president from 2022 to 2024, taking on the role after the country’s oldest economic crisis sparked a popular uprising, leaving his predecessor Getabaya Rajapax to escape.
He was broadly credited for helping to return the island nation on the way to economic recovery.
Wickremesinghe also serves six separate terms as Prime Minister from the 90s onwards.
According to the BBC Sinhala, the 76-year-old has made 23 foreign trips over his time as a president, priced at over $ 600 million ($ 2 million; $ 1.4 million).
Friday’s arrest refers to a suspension in the UK in 2023, on the Wickremesinghe path of the G77 summit in Cuba, AFP reports.
On this occasion, he and his wife attend a ceremony at Ulverhampton University.
Sri Lanka’s Cid claims it was a private visit that used state funds – something that Wickremesinghe denied.
This is a developing story. Please check again for additional updates.
