Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe has denied the allegation that he and his spouse Prof. Maithree Wickremesinghe paid a visit to London, England, in 2023 at the expense of Government funds.

Leader of the House Minister Bimal Rathnayake recently revealed in the Parliament that Wickremesinghe had used public funds of Pounds 40,000 (Over Rs. 16 million) for a private visit with his spouse to England in 2023.

In a statement issued in this regard, Wickremesinghe's office stated that he had visited London three times in 2023. The first visit was on 9 May 2023 to attend the coronation of King Charles the IIIrd. The second visit was to London for the 40th Congress of the International Democratic Union while attending the Paris Conference. Wickremesinghe, who attended the Group of 77 Summit in Havana, Cuba, also attended the United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States, before arriving in London on his third visit. "The ceremony to confer the title of Professor on Prof. Wickremesinghe at the University of Wolverhampton was held in Wolverhampton during those days. Ranil Wickremesinghe was also invited to the ceremony and he attended it on his way back from New York. During these visits, he also met with many heads of States. Also, as the spouse of the President, Prof. Wickremesinghe also participated in meetings and workshops organised at the international level," the statement read.

Although it was planned to leave London after arriving from New York in the afternoon, the statement claimed that Wickremesinghe's arrival in Sri Lanka was postponed until the next day as there were several meetings that afternoon. "It is extremely problematic to say that a huge amount of money was spent on a visit to London by Wickremesinghe and officials. This allegation also shows that the current Government has no understanding of diplomatic visits. As President, Wickremesinghe did not make any private visit to London at the Government expense in 2023, all statements made in this regard are false."