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Ranil’s counsel challenges accuracy of accounts submitted by London mission
View(s):By Manopriya Gunasekara
The accounts provided by the Sri Lankan High Commission in London regarding the expenses of former President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s UK visit have been overstated, his counsel, Tilak Marapana, told the court this week.
Counsel Tilak Marapana, PC, questioned the accuracy of the accounts when the case against Mr Wickremesinghe and the then presidential secretary Saman Ekanayake was taken up before Fort Magistrate Isuru Nettikumara on Wednesday.
Lawyers appearing for former President Ranil Wickremesinghe arrive in court . Pic by Priyanka Samaraweera
The former president faces allegations that he misused more than Rs 16.6 million in state funds during a private visit to the UK in 2023 to attend Wolverhampton University’s graduation ceremony, at which his wife received an honorary professorship.
Mr Marapana claimed that the accounts submitted by the High Commission, along with a company called Skywing, appeared excessive, as they included a charge of Rs 3.5 million for vehicles, even though Mr Wickremesinghe did not use any of them.
“There should be a separate case filed against the officials responsible for issuing such a large bill,” he told the magistrate.
He further claimed that the accounts overstated the food bill.
Kalinga Indatissa, PC, appearing for Mr Ekanayake, said his client had made the payments based on audited accounts.
When the hearings began on Wednesday, Additional Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris told the magistrate that the Criminal Investigation Department had recorded the statement of the former president’s wife, Maithree Wickremasinghe, and was considering whether she could be named a suspect.
However, the magistrate said that from the available statement she could not be considered a suspect. Mr Peiris noted that during the visit, the then president, Wickremesinghe, had not met with any state official.
The magistrate said the investigations should be concluded as soon as possible and that the court should be informed on the next date whether indictments could be filed against the suspects.
The next hearing was fixed for July 8.
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