Former Presidential Secretary Saman Ekanayake appeared before the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court a short while ago, in connection with the ongoing case against former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, filed under the Public Property Act.
Ekanayake has been named as the second suspect in the case, which alleges that Wickremesinghe misused approximately Rs. 16.9 million in public funds to attend his wife Professor Maithree Wickremesinghe’s graduation ceremony in London during an official visit in late 2023.
The trip was part of a broader state visit to the United States and United Kingdom and was reportedly undertaken with a government-funded delegation.
Wickremesinghe was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on August 22, 2025, and remanded until August 26, becoming the first Sri Lankan head of state to be placed in remand custody. He was later released on three personal bail bonds of Rs. 5 million each, following the submission of medical reports. (Newswire)