Wickramasinghe is accused of using public funds to attend his wife's graduation ceremony in London in 2023.
What you should know
Former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was arrested on charges of misusing public funds while in office, was released on bail on Tuesday. Wickremesinghe is the first Sri Lankan former head of state to be arrested.
Most of the high-ranking former ministers and political leaders are in the probe, launched as part of an anti-corruption campaign led by President Anura Kumar Dissanayake. Wickramasinghe is the most famous leader among them. According to Danushka Ramanayake, a senior leader of the opposition party and Wickramasinghe's ally, he was granted bail by the Colombo Magistrate Court. But further details of the decision have not been made public.
The former president who was arrested on Friday is currently in the intensive care unit of the Colombo National Hospital. He was admitted to the hospital on Saturday after suffering from dehydration and other health problems. Hospital Director Dr. Pradeep Wijesinghe told the media on Monday that Wickramasinghe's health is stable.
Wickramasinghe is accused of using public funds to attend his wife's graduation ceremony in London in 2023 after an official visit to Cuba and the US. But his party has defended it saying that it was in accordance with the invitation received in an official capacity.
During the bail hearing, thousands of his supporters took to the streets to protest the arrest as a 'political witch hunt'. Supporter Samarasiri Kuruvitarachchi, 69, accused the government of failing to fulfill its promises to the people and now "trying to suppress political opponents". We strongly condemn the arrest of Wickramasinghe, who has contributed a lot to the country. We have gathered to bring him justice,” said Samarasiri.
Opposition MPs and leaders commented that the government's move has weakened Sri Lanka's democracy. But Transport Minister Bimal Ratnayake denied the allegations and said Wickramasinghe's arrest was in accordance with the law. He told the local media on Monday, "The government has a mandate to investigate the irregularities of the previous government and the law applies equally to all." It is claimed that under his leadership, inflation has decreased, the local currency has strengthened and foreign reserves have increased. But his government came under fire for its harsh austerity policies.
