A senior Sri Lankan politician has claimed that the remand facility where former President Ranil Wickremesinghe was once held was located on land donated to the state by his own family.
Speaking at a press briefing in Colombo on Tuesday, United National Party (UNP) Chairman and former Cabinet Minister Wajira Abeywardena said the 43-acre property in Welikada, now home to the country’s largest prison complex, was originally gifted to the government by Wickremesinghe’s great-grandmother, Helena Wijewardene.
“Ranil Wickremesinghe was taken into custody and remanded in a prison built on land that belonged to his own family. If that is not a twist of fate, I don’t know what is,” Abeywardena said.
When asked whether current President Anura Kumara Dissanayake could face similar legal action in future, Abeywardena dismissed the possibility, saying the Constitution does not allow for such proceedings against a head of state.
He also said that the International Democracy Union has also expressed great concern for the well-being of former IDU Vice-Chair Ranil Wickremesinghe.
The IDU expresses its great concern for the well-being of former IDU Vice-Chair and President of #Sri Lanka, H.E. @RW_SRILANKA, who is currently held in police custody in Colombo.
— International Democracy Union (@idualliance) August 26, 2025
Since his arrest, President Wickremesinghe has faced severe health problems stemming from a chronic…
Commenting on former President Wickremesinghe’s medical condition, Abeywardena said that the former president had lived a disciplined lifestyle, maintaining a strict daily routine.
However, he noted that the recent pressures and disruptions to this routine had negatively affected his health.
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