Shackled by the past

Though the case against Ranil Wickremesinghe might not stick, the symbolism behind it cannot be missed

- BY LAKSHMI SUBRAMANIAN

ON AUGUST 22, former Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe was handcuffed, taken to court, remanded and sent to the Welikada prison in Colombo.

It was a historic moment—no former president had ever been arrested on criminal charges.

The case relates to his two-day stopover, on September 22 and 23, 2023, in the UK with his wife, Maithree. After addressing the UN General Assembly in New York, the couple went to London; Maithree was to receive an honorary professorship at the University of Wolverhampton for her extensive research on gender equality.

The stopover cost 16.6 million Sri Lankan rupees (about ₹48 lakh), which allegedly came from state funds. The Anura Dissanayake government accused Wickremesinghe of misusing public money and slapped charges under sections 386 and 388 of the penal code and section 5(1) of the Public Properties Act.

With the arrest, the government signalled its resolve to clean up the administration regardless of high office. Denying accusations that the move was politically motivated, Dissanayake said it was an essential step to restore public trust. “Wealth, power or lineage should not matter—all are equal before the law,” he said at a public event in Colombo soon after the arrest. “No matter the criticism, we will not turn back. If my government and I fail to fulfil this duty, then no government will ever succeed.”