Former Sri Lanka President Wickremesinghe hospitalised after arrest in graft case
A day after his arrest over the alleged misuse of state funds, the former president was moved to ICU after his blood pressure and sugar levels rose
Sri Lanka's former President Ranil Wickremesinghe was on Saturday (August 23) shifted to the ICU of the Colombo National Hospital, a day after he was arrested and refused bail over alleged misuse of state funds during his tenure.
Also read | Former Sri Lanka President Wickremesinghe arrested for alleged state fund misuse
Wickremesinghe, 76, was taken to the main Magazine Remand prison close to midnight on Friday after the Colombo Fort magistrate's court remanded him till August 26.
He was admitted to the prison hospital as his blood sugar and blood pressure levels were high, prison spokesman Jagath Weerasinghe said. By afternoon, there was no improvement and the prison doctors opined that he should be transferred to the Colombo National Hospital.
‘Misuse’ of govt funds
The former president was arrested at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters on Friday, where he was summoned to record a statement in connection with an investigation into the alleged misuse of government funds amounting to Sri Lankan rupees 16.6 million.
The veteran opposition leader was subsequently brought before the Colombo Fort magistrate's court. The CID charged him under Section 386 and 388 of the penal code and under Section 5(1) of the Public Properties Act. The charges carry a punishment of not less than one year but not exceeding 20 years in jail.
After a lengthy session which lasted over six hours, Magistrate Nilupuli Lankapura remanded him while ruling that the defence lawyers had failed to submit any special matters that would have been possible for the court to grant bail to the former president.
Allies, rivals pay visit
A stream of former colleagues and rivals, including former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, visited Wickremesinghe on Saturday.
“He was in good spirits and appeared normal. He understands being remanded is part of politics and one’s fate as a politician”, Rajapaksa, 80, told reporters.
Also read | Sri Lanka: Wickremesinghe bids emotional farewell, hands over charge to Dissanayake
The main opposition leader, Sajith Premadasa, one of Wickremesinghe’s strongest rivals, said, “I visited him and spoke to him. He was fine.” Earlier, prison officials said Wickremesinghe’s request to have home-cooked food was allowed.
Wickremesinghe, who served as president from 2022 to 2024, has been accused of using state funds to travel to England to attend a convocation ceremony of his wife, Prof Maithree, in September 2023.
(With agency inputs)