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

Ranil Wickremesinghe granted bail connected a $16,600 enslaved aft tense tribunal proceeding amid protests and choky security.

A Sri Lankan tribunal has granted bail to erstwhile President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was arrested past week implicit allegations that helium misused authorities funds portion successful office.

Wickremesinghe, 76, joined the tribunal proceeding connected Tuesday via Zoom from a state-run infirmary wherever helium was admitted implicit wellness concerns.

The lawsuit against him is based connected an probe into a sojourn helium made to Britain successful 2023 successful which helium spent $55,000 of authorities funds to be a graduation luncheon arsenic portion of celebrations of his wife’s honorary professorship astatine a assemblage there.

Colombo Fort Magistrate Nilupuli Lankapura ordered Wickremesinghe’s merchandise connected a 5-million-rupee ($16,600) enslaved aft a lengthy proceeding held nether choky security.

Hundreds of supporters, protesters and absorption politicians gathered extracurricular the tribunal successful cardinal Colombo earlier the hearing.

Police restrain supporters of Wickremesinghe during a protestation connected a thoroughfare starring to the Colombo Fort Magistrate Court successful Colombo connected August 26, 2025 [AFP]

One protester, Samarasiri Kuruwitaarachchi, 69, told The Associated Press quality bureau that the authorities has failed to present connected the promises it made earlier past year’s statesmanlike predetermination and is present “trying to hunt down the governmental opponents”.

Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, lawman person of Wickremesinghe’s United National Party (UNP), told reporters extracurricular the tribunal that the demonstrations are a “sign of the independency of our judiciary”.

“We came retired successful enactment of ideology and owed process. The authorities should proceed measures to combat against corruption. We person nary objection to that,” Kariyawasam said.

The UNP has said Wickremesinghe, who mislaid powerfulness successful past year’s election, is guiltless and suggested that the lawsuit against him is politically motivated, which Sri Lanka’s ruling party, headed by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, denies.

A lawyer by profession, Wickremesinghe besides served arsenic Sri Lanka’s premier curate a grounds six times earlier becoming president successful 2022.

The erstwhile president maintains that his wife’s question expenses successful Britain were met by her personally and nary authorities funds were utilized for the visit.

Dissanayake has led a run to stamp retired endemic corruption connected the land nation, which is inactive emerging from its worst economical situation successful 2022.