For the first time since his arrest and remand, former President Ranil Wickremesinghe has spoken out about the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Addressing the 79th anniversary convention of the United National Party (UNP), Wickremesinghe said he was on an official overseas trip at the time.
“I went to attend a G77 meeting in Havana, Cuba, where I held discussions with many world leaders. After that, I traveled to the United States to attend the United Nations General Assembly,” he explained.
“On my way back to Sri Lanka, I was in London in transit. I spent one night there and accepted an official invitation since I was present,” he added.
The former president further claimed that the complaint leading to his arrest was made by the current President’s secretary.
“I learned that a complaint had been filed against me, and it was submitted by the current President’s present secretary. Based on that, I was taken in. At that moment, many gathered to support me, and I extend my gratitude to all of them,” he said.
Reflecting on his tenure, Wickremesinghe said: “When I took over the country in 2022, Sri Lanka’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) stood at USD 76.8 billion. By the time I handed it over to Anura Kumara Dissanayake, it had risen to USD 98.9 billion. I left behind USD 22 billion. I have nothing to gain from these matters.”