The Attorney General has formally requested the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to provide information on further investigative work carried out by a CID team that visited the United Kingdom as part of a probe into the alleged misuse of public funds involving former President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
According to a report by The Sunday Times, the request seeks extracts of additional findings from the UK-based inquiries linked to allegations that Rs. 16.6 million in state funds were misappropriated during an overseas tour undertaken while Wickremesinghe was in office. The request was conveyed through a written directive addressed to the CID Director and signed by Deputy Solicitor General Wasantha Perera.The Attorney General had earlier informed the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court of his intention to seek Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) from UK authorities under the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act to support the investigation.
In the correspondence, the Attorney General also noted that the officer leading the investigation had failed to report to the AG’s Department despite being instructed to do so for the purpose of compiling relevant documentation. Additionally, the letter highlighted that the CID team had traveled to London without first securing an MLA request from the UK authorities.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities review procedural and evidentiary aspects of the case.
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