On Saturday, August 23, 2025, Sri Lanka’s former president Ranil Wickremesinghe was urgently admitted to the intensive care unit at Colombo National Hospital due to severe dehydration, just one day after a magistrate ordered his remand in custody until August 26, 2025. The 76-year-old former leader, charged with misusing state funds for a personal trip to Britain in 2023, was reported to be in stable condition but required close monitoring due to his pre-existing health conditions, including severe diabetes and high blood pressure, according to Rukshan Bellana, the deputy director-general of Colombo National Hospital.
Wickremesinghe’s health deteriorated rapidly while in custody at Colombo’s New Magazine Prison, where the medical facilities were inadequate to manage his condition, prompting his transfer to the state-run hospital, a prison spokesperson confirmed. Bellana emphasized the need for intensive care to prevent serious complications, stating, “He must be closely observed and treated for acute dehydration to avoid severe health risks.”
The former president’s arrest on Friday, August 22, 2025, stems from allegations that he misused approximately 16.6 million rupees ($55,000) in state funds to finance a private visit to the United Kingdom in September 2023. The trip, which followed his attendance at the G77 summit in Havana and the UN General Assembly in New York, was purportedly to attend a ceremony where his wife, Maithree, received an honorary professorship from the University of Wolverhampton. Wickremesinghe has denied the allegations, asserting that his wife’s travel expenses were privately funded and no state resources were misused. The charges carry a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine up to three times the value of the allegedly misappropriated funds.
Wickremesinghe’s arrest is part of a broader anti-corruption campaign led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who defeated Wickremesinghe in the September 2024 presidential election. Dissanayake’s administration has prioritized tackling systemic corruption as Sri Lanka recovers from its devastating 2022 economic crisis, which fueled widespread protests and led to the resignation of former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Wickremesinghe assumed the presidency in July 2022, navigating the country through the aftermath of the economic meltdown, but his electoral loss marked a shift in Sri Lanka’s political landscape.
Despite his detention, Wickremesinghe remains a significant figure in Sri Lankan politics, with his United National Party (UNP) holding two seats in the 225-member parliament. Opposition figures who visited him in prison reported that he was in good spirits and called for unity to counter what he described as the “oppression” of Dissanayake’s leftist government. Nalin Bandara, a parliamentarian from the opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) party, relayed Wickremesinghe’s message, stating, “The former president urged us to unite on a common platform to challenge the new government’s actions.” Similarly, UNP General Secretary Thalatha Athukorala suggested that the government’s move to detain Wickremesinghe was driven by fears of his potential political comeback, stating, “They are threatened by the possibility of his return to power, and this arrest reflects that fear.”
Opposition parties have accused Dissanayake’s administration of targeting Wickremesinghe to neutralize his political influence, particularly as he remains active despite holding no elected position. The arrest has sparked debate about the motivations behind the government’s anti-corruption drive, with critics arguing it may be used to suppress political rivals. Meanwhile, Wickremesinghe’s supporters view his detention as an attempt to sideline a seasoned leader who could challenge the current administration’s policies.
As Sri Lanka grapples with its post-crisis recovery and political realignments, Wickremesinghe’s case highlights the tensions between anti-corruption efforts and accusations of political vendettas. His health crisis and ongoing legal battle are likely to intensify public and political scrutiny of the government’s actions, with implications for Sri Lanka’s democratic processes and governance in the lead-up to future elections.
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