The United National Party (UNP) has questioned the Criminal Investigation Department’s (CID) investigation into former President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s visit to the United Kingdom, claiming authorities sought information from the wrong sources.
Speaking at a meeting, UNP officials said details regarding expenses related to Wickremesinghe’s visit to England should have been obtained from the British Government or the University of Wolverhampton, rather than the Sri Lankan High Commission in London.
They noted that Wickremesinghe had not visited the Sri Lankan High Commission during the trip and argued that any evidence related to the visit should have been gathered from the institutions that invited or facilitated it.
The UNP also questioned the decision to send five CID officers to the UK to collect evidence, claiming that information on the cost of the trip has not been disclosed despite a Right to Information request made more than five months ago.
The party called for transparency regarding the expenditure incurred on the investigation and the basis on which evidence was collected.
The allegations relate to a visit made by Wickremesinghe to the University of Wolverhampton in the United Kingdom in September 2023, during which his wife, Professor Maithree Wickramasinghe, received an honorary professorship.
The CID and the Attorney General’s Department have alleged that the trip, which was done using public funds, was presented as an official state visit despite being a private visit that provided no tangible benefit to Sri Lanka, resulting in a misuse of public money. (Newswire)