Sri Lanka’s ex-President Wickremesinghe granted bail in embezzlement case

Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe was detained last week after being accused of using state funds while in office, but a court in Sri Lanka has since released him on bail.

Wickremesinghe, 76, was admitted to a state-run hospital over health concerns and showed up for the court hearing on Tuesday via Zoom.

In order to defend himself, he allegedly spent $55,000 in government funds on a visit to Britain in 2023, where he was a part of a celebration of his wife’s honorary professorship at a nearby university.

After a lengthy hearing held under heavy security, Colombo Fort Magistrate Nilupuli Lankapura ordered Wickremesinghe’s release on a 5-million rupee ($16,600) bond.

Before the hearing, hundreds of opposition politicians, protesters, and supporters gathered outside the court in Colombo.

Samarasiri Kuruwitaarachchi, 69, a protester, claimed the government is now “trying to hunt down the political opponents” and has broken all of its promises made prior to the upcoming presidential election.

The demonstrations are a “sign of the independence of our judiciary,” according to Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, the deputy leader of Wickremesinghe’s United National Party (UNP).

“We spoke out in favor of democracy and due process. The government should keep taking steps to combat corruption. That is not what we want, Kariyawasam said.

The ruling party in Sri Lanka, led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, claims Wickremesinghe is innocent and that the allegations against him are politically motivated.

Before becoming president in 2022, Wickremesinghe served as Sri Lanka’s prime minister a record six times. He is a lawyer by profession.

The former president claims that his wife personally paid for her trip to Britain with no money from the government.