The Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court today (29) postponed until January 28, 2026 the hearing of the case filed under the Public Property Act against former President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Colombo Fort Magistrate Isuru Neththikumara directed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to expedite the ongoing investigation and to present before court any suspects involved in the matter, should such individuals be identified.
The Magistrate also instructed the CID to probe whether incidents that occurred near the courthouse on a previous hearing date amounted to contempt of court. He further ordered that those responsible be identified and that a full report on the disciplinary actions taken be submitted at the next hearing.
The case was taken up around 1:30 p.m. at the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court.
The charges relate to allegations that the former President misused state funds to travel to the United Kingdom in 2023 to attend a ceremony held to honour his wife, Professor Maithree Wickremesinghe, at a British university, while serving as Head of State.
Ranil Wickremesinghe was arrested on August 22, 2025, after appearing before the CID to provide a statement regarding the allegations. He was later remanded until August 26, 2025.
Upon receiving medical documentation submitted on his behalf, Fort Magistrate Nilupuli Lankapura ordered his release on August 26 on three surety bails of Rs. 5 million each, and fixed today’s date for the case to be taken up again.
The case will be recalled in January next year as investigations continue.
