Sri Lanka’s political establishment has been thrown into controversy after opposition MPs questioned how a ruling regime linked YouTuber appeared to predict the arrest of former president Ranil Wickremesinghe in advance.
In a post on X this morning, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) leader Sajith Premadasa described the episode as a blow to public faith in law and order.
“A YouTuber predicting the arrest of a former President before it even happens? That can’t be a coincidence, could it be planned?” Premadasa asked. “If true, it’s a sad day when something as sacred as law and order is reduced to cheap theatrics.”
MP Chamara Sampath Dasanayake also raised alarm over a video posted by actor-turned-YouTuber Sudaththa Thilakasiri, in which he claimed Wickremesinghe would be arrested on Friday.
“Before Ranil Wickremesinghe recorded a statement, he said he would be arrested today. Before the judge decides, ‘YouTube Suda’ gives the verdict. This is a joke,” Dasanayake said.
The comments come after Wickremesinghe, who served as president from 2022 to 2024, was arrested this morning by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) over allegations of misusing state funds for a private visit to London.
Meanwhile, former minister Ali Sabry took to social media to defend Wickremesinghe’s political record, warning that the arrest risked fuelling what he called a “cycle of hate and retribution.”
“Wickremesinghe played a key role in stabilising the country during three major crises: in 1993, following the assassination of President Ranasinghe Premadasa; in 2000, during Sri Lanka’s first recession; and in 2022, at the peak of the country’s worst economic crisis,” Sabry wrote.
“Against this backdrop, his arrest as predicted by a YouTuber is deeply troubling. Such actions reflect a disturbing trend of vindictive and destructive politics that undermine our institutions and future. This cycle must end. Sri Lanka deserves a politics of reason and stability.”
