The case filed against former President Ranil Wickremesinghe and former Presidential Secretary Saman Ekanayake over the alleged misappropriation of public funds has been postponed until September 30, after the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court directed that the Attorney General’s position on the matter be presented at the next hearing.
The case was taken up today (08) before Colombo Fort Magistrate Pasan Amarasena.
Senior State Counsel Samadari Piyasena informed the court that investigations had been completed and the relevant case files had been forwarded to the Attorney General for further action. She requested time to obtain and present the Attorney General’s decision on the legal proceedings.
Accordingly, the Magistrate ordered that the case be recalled on September 30 and directed that the Attorney General’s stance be communicated to the court on that date.
The complaint alleges that Wickremesinghe misused public funds during a visit to the United Kingdom in 2023 to attend a ceremony honouring his wife, Professor Maithree Wickremesinghe, at a British university while serving as President.
According to the case, the Criminal Investigation Department arrested the former President on August 22, 2025, over allegations that Rs. 16.6 million in state funds was spent on what investigators claim was a one-and-a-half-day private visit to the United Kingdom that had been presented as an official trip.
After being produced before court, Wickremesinghe was remanded until August 26, 2025. However, following consideration of medical reports, then Colombo Fort Magistrate Nilupuli Lankapura ordered his release on three surety bails of Rs. 5 million each.
Counsel appearing for the former President argued that the visit was undertaken following an invitation from a British university and maintained that there is no clear legal distinction between official and private travel by a sitting President. They contended that no misappropriation of public funds had occurred.