Colombo: Sri Lankan opposition parties gathered here on Sunday to condemn the arrest of former president Ranil Wickremesinghe, calling it “undemocratic” and “petty act of political vengeance.”
The ruling National People’s Power (NPP) party condemned the opposition’s move as “selective public outrage” and said that the law applies equally to everyone.
Leaders of all opposition parties held a joint press conference in Colombo to protest the arrest of Wickremesinghe over alleged misuse of state funds during his tenure.
“Our country is used to a very open democratic practices,” said Maithripala Sirisena, who served as the president of Sri Lanka from January 2015 to November 2019.
“These sort of actions go against those basic principles,” Sirisena added.
Sagara Kariyawasam, the general secretary of the Sri Lanka People’s Front (SLPP), said his party was at variance with Wickremesinghe’s politics, “but we have to oppose this act of attempting to silence opposition through intimidation by the state.”
At a media briefing by the lawyers of the ruling NPP, President’s Counsel Upul Kumarapperuma said the law applies equally to everyone, including the President, MPs, and state officials, the NewsFirst news portal reported.
He criticised the opposition for portraying the court’s decision as politically motivated and said the government is committed to ending corruption.
Attorney Akalanka Ukwatta condemned politicians for politicising the court order and questioned the opposition’s selective public outrage, while Attorney Jayantha Dehiattage noted there is no public unrest over the former president’s arrest and that the law is now applied equally to rulers and citizens.
The Colombo National Hospital this morning said that Wickremesinghe, 76, was still in the intensive care unit.
Dr Rukshan Bellana, the director of the hospital, said the former President was still under observation for a dehydration condition.
“He had suffered dehydration in the court while spending over 10 hours there. Now to prevent him from developing other health complications we have to keep him under watch,” he added.
Bellana said Wickremesinghe needed at least three more days in the ICU and his court appearance on Tuesday would not be possible.
“Someone in the ICU cannot attend court,” he added.
Wickremesinghe was on Saturday shifted to the intensive care unit of the Colombo National Hospital, a day after he was arrested and refused bail over alleged misuse of state funds during his tenure.
He was taken to the main Magazine Remand prison close to midnight on Friday after the Colombo Fort magistrate’s court remanded him till August 26.
He was admitted to the prison hospital as his blood sugar and blood pressure levels were high, prison spokesman Jagath Weerasinghe said.
By afternoon, there was no improvement and the prison doctors opined that he should be transferred to the Colombo National Hospital.
Wickremesinghe was kept in the emergency care unit first but was later transferred to the intensive care unit of the Colombo National Hospital.
The former president was arrested at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters on Friday.
The CID charged him under Section 386 and 388 of the penal code and under Section 5(1) of the Public Properties Act.
The charges carry a punishment of not less than one year but not exceeding 20 years in jail.
Colombo Fort magistrate’s court remanded him while ruling that the defence lawyers had failed to submit any special matters that would have been possible for the court to grant bail to the former president.
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