President’s Counsel Anuja Premaratne, appearing on behalf of Ranil Wickremesinghe, told court that this inquiry had been initiated based on a complaint submitted by a secretary to a president residing in the Kurunegala area.
He pointed out that a report issued by the National Audit Office had referred to this visit and that it clearly stated no illegal act had taken place. However, the investigating officers had failed to take that report into consideration, and had they done so, such a case would not have arisen.
He further noted that all invitations received by a Head of State are considered official invitations, and that in the past, leaders such as former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, Lakshman Kadirgamar, and Lalith Athulathmudali had also participated in such visits.
The President’s Counsel argued that a Head of State cannot simply travel overseas on an economy-class ticket, move around in hired vehicles, and stay at friends’ homes, stressing that such conduct would not be compatible with the dignity of the office.
He explained that Ranil Wickremesinghe had participated in this visit to the United Kingdom following an invitation extended by the University of Wolverhampton through the Sri Lankan High Commission in the UK. He questioned how an invitation conveyed through the Sri Lankan High Commission could be considered anything but official.
The Counsel also pointed out that a Head of State is a person who works 24 hours a day, and that this invitation had been extended to him not in his personal capacity as Ranil Wickremesinghe, but in his official capacity as the President of Sri Lanka.
He further argued that the financial regulations referred to in the complaint apply only to Ministry Secretaries and Provincial Council Secretaries, and not to officials such as the President, the Prime Minister, or the Speaker of Parliament.
Presenting medical records to court, the Counsel informed that his client suffers from heart disease, uncontrolled diabetes, and hypertension, while his wife is undergoing treatment for cancer.
Considering these as special circumstances, President’s Counsel Anuja Premaratne requested the court to order the suspect’s release on bail under any conditions.
