Former Presidential Secretary Saman Ekanayake Produced Before Colombo Fort Magistrates Court

The hearing of the case filed against former President Ranil Wickremesinghe under the Public Property Act, has now commenced at the Colombo Fort Magistrates Court.

According to our court reporter, the case against the former President is currently underway.

Meanwhile, former Presidential Secretary Saman Ekanayake, who has been named as a suspect in the same case by the Attorney General, has also been produced before courts.

Recently, a team from the Criminal Investigation Department went to his residence to arrest him, but he was not there at the time. Police stated that the mobile phone of the Former Secretary to the President had also been switched off.

The complaint relates to allegations that state funds were misused during Ranil Wickremesinghe’s tenure as President, for a trip to London to attend the graduation ceremony of his wife, Professor Maithree Wickremesinghe.

Accordingly, on the 22nd of August 2025, the former President appeared before the CID to give a statement and was arrested. He was then produced before court and remanded until August 26th.

After considering medical reports submitted later, Fort Magistrate Nilupuli Lankapura ordered that Ranil Wickremesinghe be released on three personal bails of Rs. 5 million each and fixed the case for October 29, 2025.

When the case was taken up on that date, the Magistrate instructed investigating officers to expedite the probe and to inform court today, the 28th of January 2026, of the progress of the investigation.