COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — More than 1,000 supporters of Sri Lanka's former president Ranil Wickremesinghe protested his arrest in Colombo on Tuesday ahead of a crucial hearing to decide whether to grant bail to the senior opposition politician accused of misusing public funds during his presidency.
Wickremesinghe, who was president from 2022 to 2024, was arrested last Friday over accusations of using public funds to attend his wife’s graduation ceremony in London after an official visit to the United States in 2023. The court ordered him to be detained until Tuesday's hearing.
Wickremesinghe's arrest has caused uproar with opposition lawmakers and politicians claiming it is a political witch hunt that undermines the country’s democracy.
On Tuesday, supporters and opposition activists gathered on the main streets leading to the Magistrates' Court in protest.
Some protesters were seen wearing black clothes and waving black flags. They shouted slogans condemning the arrest and displayed banners that read “Immediately release ex-president Ranil Wickremesinghe.”
One protester, Samarasiri Kuruwitaarachchi, 69, said the government has failed to deliver the promises given to the people at the last year’s election and is now “trying to hunt down the political opponents.”
“We condemn the arrest of Wickremesinghe who has done so much for the country,” Kuruwitaarachchi said. “We gathered here to demand justice for him.”
Transport and Highways Minister Bimal Rathnayake rejected the accusations against the government and said Wickremesinghe’s arrest was not a political revenge but was in accordance with the country's law. He told local media Monday that the government has a mandate to probe the alleged malpractices of previous governments and that the law will be enforced equally.
Wickremesinghe is the first Sri Lankan former head of state to be arrested and the most prominent leader under investigation for corruption under President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who came to power last year on an anti-corruption platform.
More than a dozen former high government officials and political leaders are under investigation for alleged wrongdoing.
Wickremesinghe’s party responded to the allegations by saying he attended the graduation ceremony on an invitation received in his official capacity.
Wickremesinghe is currently receiving treatment at the Intensive Care Unit of the Colombo National Hospital and is unlikely to appear before the court Tuesday, prison spokesperson Jagath Weerasinghe said.
However, he said arrangements are being made to connect him with the court virtually.
Wickremesinghe was admitted to Colombo National Hospital on Saturday after experiencing dehydration and related health complications. Hospital Director Dr. Pradeep Wijesinghe told the media Monday that his condition has shown some stability but a panel of doctors recommended treating him at the ICU under close supervision.
Wickremesinghe came to power after Sri Lanka’s economic upheaval led to a political crisis that forced then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign in 2022.
Wickremesinghe was credited with stabilizing the crumbling economy. Under his leadership, inflation fell, the local currency strengthened and foreign reserves increased. But he faced a public backlash over his government’s stringent austerity measures.
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