Ex-Sri Lankan diplomat arrested for corruption

Colombo, Nov 18: Sri Lanka's former ambassador to the US, Jaliya Wickramasuriya, was arrested on Friday for suspected misuse of state funds under the previous government.

Wickramasuriya, a relative of former President Mahinda Rajapakse, was arrested by the Financial Crimes Investigations Division for allegedly accepting a $245,000 commission while serving as the envoy in Washington, Xinhua news agency reported.

He is also suspected to have defrauded more than $33,000 in purchasing a building for the Sri Lankan embassy in the US. The former diplomat is expected appear in a court later on Friday.