Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe arrived at the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court earlier today (October 29) for a scheduled hearing in the case filed against him under the Public Property Act.
The case, which is set to be taken up at 1:30 p.m., concerns allegations that Wickremesinghe misused state funds during his tenure as Head of State in 2023. According to the complaint, the former President allegedly used public money to finance a personal visit to the United Kingdom, where he attended a ceremony organized to honor his wife, Professor Maithree Wickremesinghe, at a British university.
Wickremesinghe was arrested on August 22, 2025, after voluntarily appearing before the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to record a statement regarding the incident. He was subsequently produced before the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court and remanded until August 26.
Following the submission and review of medical reports presented on his behalf, Fort Magistrate Nilupuli Lankapura ordered his release on three surety bails of Rs. 5 million each. The case was thereafter scheduled to be recalled today for further proceedings.
Tight security was reported around the court premises as the former President made his appearance this morning, drawing significant public and media attention.
Images By – Ajith Senavirathne
