In Parliament on 15 March, Leader of the House Minister Bimal Rathnayake revealed that former President Ranil Wickremesinghe hired a butler during his private trip to the United Kingdom in September 2023, paying him £1,000 per day.

The trip, which took place on 22 and 23 September 2023, was initially classified as a private visit. Wickremesinghe traveled to Wolverhampton and London with a 10-member delegation, including his wife Maithree Wickramasinghe, Senaratne Dissanayake, Sandra Perera, a doctor, security personnel, and an advanced security team. The London High Commission was requested to urgently provide funds for the trip on 16 August 2023 under “most urgent” and “strictly confidential” terms.

Although the visit was initially private, its classification was later changed to an official programme, leading to questions about the justification for the expenses, which reportedly totaled around £40,000 (approximately Rs. 16.2 million).

Minister Rathnayake raised concerns over the use of taxpayer money, stating that £2,000 was specifically spent on the butler’s services, with supporting bills as evidence. He also hinted that further revelations would be made regarding the Batalanda issue the following day.

Calling for an investigation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rathnayake urged officials to scrutinise the spending. He also criticised the ethical implications of using public funds for a private trip, particularly during Sri Lanka’s economic crisis, stating that Wickremesinghe should be ashamed of his actions.