Sri Lankan police on Friday arrested former president Ranil Wickremesinghe, marking the first time a former head of state has been taken into custody in the country’s history. Officers from the Criminal Investigation Department detained Wickremesinghe in Colombo over allegations that he diverted public funds to pay for a private trip to London in September 2023 to attend his wife’s graduation ceremony. Wickremesinghe led the island nation from 2022 to 2024. He was brought before a magistrate and later released on bail while the Financial Crimes Investigations Department pursues its inquiry. Wickremesinghe and his representatives have not publicly responded to the allegations.