Preparations under way to indict Ranil before the High Court ahead of 29 April

2026-02-07 - 16:09

Reports indicate that arrangements are currently being made to file indictments before the Colombo High Court against former President Ranil Wickremesinghe and former Secretary Saman Ekanayake, naming them as defendants, before a complaint being heard before the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court in connection with the alleged misappropriation of public funds is taken up on 29 April. It is further reported that, following instructions from the Attorney General, plans are under way to prepare indictments against the relevant defendants after reviewing the investigation file compiled under the Public Property Act. The investigations were conducted under the direction of Senior Superintendent of Police Shani Abeysekara, Director of the Criminal Investigation Department, into allegations that the former President and the former Presidential Secretary caused a loss to the State exceeding Rs. 16.6 million by undertaking a private overseas visit to attend a convocation ceremony at the University of Wolverhampton in the United Kingdom. Appearing on behalf of the Attorney General, Additional Solicitor General Dileep Peiris informed Colombo Fort Magistrate Isuru Neththikumara that it is expected to request the Chief Justice to appoint a special three-judge High Court bench (Trial-at-Bar) to hear the case, treating it as a special High Court matter. Accordingly, the Magistrate has directed the Attorney General to file the indictments without delay and to report the matter to court before 29 April. The second suspect in the case, former Secretary to the President Ekanayake Bandara Mudiyanselage Somisara Bandara Ekanayake, also known as Saman Ekanayake, has been remanded until the 11th of this month. It is also reported that a handwriting examination of the suspect former President’s Secretary is to be conducted, and that officers of the Criminal Investigation Department are due to obtain a court order, on the instructions of the Attorney General, to produce the suspect before the Government Handwriting Examiner and obtain a report. Meanwhile, it has been reported that written submissions relating to the first suspect in the case, former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, have been forwarded to the Attorney General’s Department by his senior President’s Counsel.