The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) does not expect an immediate response to its request for information from the University of Wolverhampton in the United Kingdom regarding a visit made by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe during his tenure in office, it is learnt.

Highly-placed sources within the CID told The Sunday Morning that a set of questions had been sent on 4 February via email and EMS Speed Post to the British university. 

The correspondence seeks clarification on whether the invitation extended to the then President to attend an induction ceremony had been issued in an official capacity by the university or sent on a personal basis.

Responding to inquiries on whether another CID team would be dispatched to the UK to pursue the matter, sources speaking on condition of anonymity said there were no plans to send investigators overseas at this stage. They noted that formal communication had already been made and that further action would depend on the response received from the university.

The investigation was initiated following questions over a foreign visit undertaken by Wickremesinghe to the UK while he was serving as President. The visit coincided with the induction ceremony of his wife at the University of Wolverhampton.

The case involves the alleged misappropriation of approximately Rs. 16.6 million utilised for a trip to the UK in 2023. The official position indicates that critical evidence remains outstanding before any formal charges can be filed in court.