In a twist only Sri Lankan politics could deliver, former President Ranil Wickremesinghe has been released on bail under the Public Property Act—only to head straight back to the ICU instead of home. The Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court granted him temporary freedom, but his health has quickly turned the spotlight from courtroom drama to hospital corridors.
Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe was granted bail today by the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court. The order was delivered by Magistrate Nilupali Lankapura when the case was taken up for hearing.
Wickremesinghe, arrested under the Public Property Act, was admitted to the Colombo National Hospital shortly after his remand, citing deteriorating health conditions. Doctors later transferred him to the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit, where he continues to receive treatment.
His release on bail does little to quiet the political storm, with critics questioning whether medical emergencies have once again become a convenient escape route in high-profile corruption cases. Meanwhile, supporters frame his hospitalisation as proof of persecution rather than guilt.
As the courtroom doors close and hospital doors remain open, one thing is certain: Ranil Wickremesinghe’s fate will play out as much in the corridors of power as in the corridors of the ICU.
