Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe has denied allegations that he used state funds for a personal trip to London in 2023, accompanied by his wife, Professor Maithree Wickremesinghe.
In a statement, the former President’s office clarified that Wickremesinghe visited London on three separate occasions in 2023.
His first visit was on May 9, 2023, to attend the coronation of King Charles III. The second visit was for the 40th anniversary celebrations of the International Democracy Union (IDU) in London.
Following his participation in the G77 Summit in Havana and the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Wickremesinghe traveled to London for a third time.
During this visit, he attended an event at Wolverhampton University in the UK, where Mrs. Wickremesinghe was conferred with the title of Professor. The statement noted that the former President attended this event after his engagements in New York.
The former President also met with several world leaders during these visits, while Mrs. Wickremesinghe participated in diplomatic meetings in her capacity as First Lady.
Although he initially planned to return to Sri Lanka, Wickremesinghe extended his stay in London by a day to accommodate additional meetings, according to the statement.
“It is questionable why claims are being made about excessive spending on this visit. It is evident that the current government does not fully understand the nature of diplomatic travel,” the statement said, reiterating that Wickremesinghe did not undertake any private visits to London in 2023.
The allegations, it added, are “completely false.” (Newswire)
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