The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) yesterday (04) questioned Sandra Perera, Personal Secretary to former President Ranil Wickremesinghe regarding an ongoing investigation into an allegation that state funds were spent on Wickremesinghe’s visit to the UK with his wife.
Saman Ekanayake, Secretary to President Wickremesinghe, has been asked to make a statement to the CID today.
Wickremesinghe, in March this year, denied accusations that state funds had been used when he, as the President, and his spouse Prof. Maithree Wickramasinghe, travelled to London for a private visit in 2023.
The former President’s Office said that Wickremesinghe had visited London three times in 2023. The first visit was on May 9, 2023, to attend the coronation of King Charles III. The second visit was for the 40th anniversary session of the International Democratic Union (IDU), while he was attending the Paris Summit.
President Wickremesinghe, who also attended the G77 Summit in Havana, visited New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) before travelling to London for his third visit.
The ceremony to confer the title of Professor on Mrs. Maithree Wickramasinghe by the University of Wolverhampton in the United Kingdom took place during this time and Ranil Wickremesinghe was invited to the ceremony and attended it while returning from New York, the statement said.
During these visits, Ranil Wickremesinghe also met numerous heads of state. As the wife of the then President, Professor Maithree Wickramasinghe participated in meetings and workshops organised at the international level, according to the statement.
The former President’s Office said that although it was initially planned for Ranil Wickremesinghe to leave the city of London in the evening, after arriving from New York, his return to Sri Lanka was delayed until the next day due to several meetings scheduled for that evening.
The former President’s Office stated that it was misleading to claim that a substantial amount of government funds had been spent on a visit to London by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe and officials. “This also demonstrates that the current government lacks an understanding of diplomatic trips.”
