Former Sri Lankan President Wickremesinghe Hospitalized Amid Legal Troubles

Former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe is unable to attend court due to health issues, as he remains in ICU. He was arrested on allegations of misusing state funds for a personal trip. Medical tests show dehydration and kidney issues, necessitating rest and medication.

Ranil Wickremesinghe, the former President of Sri Lanka, is reportedly unable to appear in court due to serious health problems, as reported by the Daily Mirror. Hospital sources told the outlet that Wickremesinghe was due to be presented in front of the Colombo Fort Magistrate on August 26, but health complications have prevented this appearance.

A senior official at the Colombo National Hospital mentioned that Wickremesinghe has been advised to rest and take medication over the next three days. The former president was noted as dehydrated, experiencing an increased heart rate, and undergoing medical evaluations that pointed to elevated kidney parameters and headache symptoms. "Though currently not life-threatening, if complications arise, his condition could become critical," the official stated, according to Daily Mirror.

Subsequently, doctors decided to transfer Wickremesinghe to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) as a precautionary step, the report added. Previously remanded until August 26 by Colombo Fort Magistrate Nilupuli Lankapura, he was initially taken to the prison hospital but subsequently moved to Colombo National Hospital for specialized care.

News outlet Newswire Lanka reported that Wickremesinghe's arrest involved charges of misusing government funds to finance a personal trip to London for attending a university graduation ceremony. Investigators assert this trip, part of a broader overseas tour, was not sanctioned as an official visit but was instead funded by state resources.

Having served as the prime minister six times, Wickremesinghe became Sri Lanka's interim president in July 2022 after Gotabaya Rajapaksa's ousting. He later lost the presidential race to Anura Kumara Dissanayake, head of the National People's Power, in September 2024.