BY Methmalie Dissanayake

Colombo Fort Magistrate Isuru Neththikumara today (29) ordered that the case against former President Ranil Wickremesinghe be fixed for hearing on 28 January.

The case has been filed over allegations that Wickremesinghe misused state funds to travel to the United Kingdom in 2023 to attend a ceremony held to honour his wife, Professor Maithree Wickremesinghe, at a British university, while serving as Head of State.

Magistrate Neththikumara also ordered the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to expedite the ongoing investigation and to produce before court any suspects connected to alleged contempt of court on the day Wickremesinghe was granted bail, if such individuals exist.

The Magistrate further instructed the CID to inquire whether incidents that occurred near the court premises on a previous date amounted to contempt of court, to identify those responsible, and to report on the actions taken against them at the next hearing.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Dileepa Peiris appeared on behalf of the Attorney General, while President’s Counsel Tilak Marapana and Anuja Premaratne appeared for Wickremesinghe. Former First Lady Maithree Wickremesinghe was also present in court. Several politicians, including Nimal Siripala de Silva, Wajira Abeywardena, Susil Premajayantha, and Premnath C. Dolawatta, were also seen in attendance.

The prosecution said it hopes to obtain a statement from the Sri Lankan High Commissioner in UK Saroja Sirisena and send a request to the UK Government requesting several information. 

ASG Peiris questioned the accuracy of a medical report issued by Dr. K. P. G. Wijesinghe, Deputy Director of the National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Colombo, which was certified by six specialist doctors. The report stated that Wickremesinghe suffered from several illnesses, including a heart blockage, type 2 diabetes, and chronic headaches.

Peiris queried how the report had been submitted directly to court during a previous hearing, during which Wickremesinghe was granted bail based on its contents.

“This report was never provided to the prosecution. How did the deputy hospital director issue such a report directly to court? Who requested it? How was it obtained, and under what procedure?” he questioned.

Peiris further stated that the previous Magistrate, Nilupuli Lankapura, had remarked that since there was no way to verify the accuracy of the report at that time, bail was granted to Wickremesinghe.

At this point, Magistrate Neththikumara asked whether the prosecution intended to request the cancellation of Wickremesinghe’s bail, to which ASG Peiris replied in the affirmative.

He then requested that an independent medical evaluation be conducted by the Colombo Judicial Medical Officer along with two other doctors.

“Your Honour, this defendant never spent a single day in prison. He was transferred from the prison hospital to the National Hospital, and a day after being granted bail, he was discharged from the ICU and went home. Not only that, he was seen posing for photos and selfies inside the ICU with doctors and others. We find it difficult to believe that a person in intensive care can read large books like Boris Johnson’s Unleashed. Other patients leave the ICU in wheelchairs or on trolleys — this person walked out smiling and taking photos. This is not only a misuse of public funds but also a disrespect to the entire judicial process,” Peiris said.

He added that since being granted bail, Wickremesinghe had not sought any medical treatment.

At this point, Anuja Premaratne, PC intervened: “How do you know that?”

Peiris responded, “He hasn’t even requested permission to travel overseas for treatment. This must be investigated.”

Speaking on behalf of Wickremesinghe, Tilak Marapana PC said his client’s visit to the UK was an official diplomatic visit.

“It was not only to attend his wife’s ceremony. The university’s Chancellor had also invited him to a luncheon celebrating the Chancellor’s 25th anniversary,” Marapana said.

Magistrate Neththikumara then asked, “Was there an official invitation from the UK Government for this visit?”

Marapana replied, “Yes, Your Honour. Now the prosecution claims my client produced fraudulent documents. He has been a respected lawyer for over 50 years — why would someone like him submit false documents to court?”

Peiris interrupted, saying, “Don’t call him a lawyer.”

Marapana continued, “It has been two months now — what progress has been made in this investigation? Instead of presenting the results, the prosecution is trying to distract by questioning the medical records. On the day of his arrest, my client was exhausted. He hadn’t had water for over 10 hours, and the long questioning at the CID and the subsequent court proceedings took a toll on him. As a heart patient, he could not bear it, which is why he was admitted to the ICU.”

Magistrate Neththikumara noted, “It was said he suffers from several illnesses, correct?”

Marapana responded, “Yes, Your Honour. He has been receiving treatment for a long time. A hospital in Singapore confirmed that while he had blocked arteries, no surgery was required because blood was flowing through an alternative path.”

Magistrate Neththikumara: “Is this after receiving bail?”

Marapana: “No, no, Your Honour. That was in 2017.”

Magistrate Neththikumara: “Do you have any request?”

Marapana: “Yes, Your Honour. Find out the truth. The police can obtain information from the UK without the assistance of Interpol.”

ASG Peiris also noted that while Wickremesinghe’s visits to the United States and Cuba had received extensive coverage by the President’s Media Division (PMD), this particular visit to the United Kingdom had not. “There were no photos, videos, or statements issued by the PMD regarding this event. The only mention of it was found on the university’s website,” he said.

Marapana then asked, “Are you suggesting that the documents related to this event are fraudulent?”

Peiris replied, “Obviously.”

Magistrate Neththikumara stated that all submissions made in court today (29) would be considered. He observed that since the bail order was issued by the previous Magistrate, the court would not interfere with that decision. However, if the documents submitted were proven to be fraudulent, it must be properly investigated. Accordingly, permission was granted to consult the doctors who had issued the National Hospital medical report.

The Magistrate also questioned whether former President’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake had been named as a suspect in the case, noting that although his name had been mentioned multiple times, it was still unclear whether the prosecution had formally listed him as a suspect.

ASG Peiris responded that the matter would be considered upon the completion of investigations. He also requested a copy of the National Hospital’s medical report, to which the Magistrate ordered that it be provided.

Concluding, Magistrate Neththikumara observed, “It must be clarified whether the invitation for this event was an official invitation from the UK Government. The entire case depends on that. Also, this is not a complex investigation. Therefore, I order the CID to conclude the investigation by the next hearing.”