Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who became the first Executive President of Sri Lanka to be arrested and remanded, is scheduled to be produced before the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court today (26).

Wickremesinghe, remanded until 26 August, was initially admitted to the Prison Hospital before being transferred to the National Hospital on medical advice. He was later admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) due to dehydration, hospital sources confirmed.

The transfer followed examinations by Prison Hospital doctors who recommended specialised care.

The former President was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on 22 August over allegations of misusing state funds. The case relates to his visit to the United Kingdom in September 2023, during his presidency, where he attended a University of Wolverhampton ceremony with his wife, Professor Maithree Wickremesinghe, after attending the G77 summit in Havana.

While Wickremesinghe has insisted that his wife bore her own travel expenses and no state funds were used, the CID has alleged that government funds covered his travel and the expenses of his security detail.

Following his arrest, he was produced before Colombo Fort Magistrate Nilupuli Lankapura, who ordered him to be remanded until 26 August under the Public Property Act.