A Sri Lankan court granted bail on Tuesday to former president Ranil Wickremesinghe who was arrested last week over allegations that he misused state funds while in office.

Wickremesinghe, 76, joined the court hearing via Zoom from a state-run hospital. His United National Party (UNP) said he was admitted over the weekend on his doctor's advice to monitor his health.

Hundreds of supporters, including opposition politicians, gathered outside the court in central Colombo ahead of the hearing. Police cordoned off the complex by placing yellow barricades to keep the crowd in check.

"This is a sign of the independence of our judiciary," Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, the UNP's deputy secretary, told reporters outside the courthouse.

"We came out in support of democracy and due process. The government should continue measures to fight against corruption. We have no objection to that."

The UNP has said Wickremesinghe, who lost power in a 2024 presidential election, is innocent and suggested that the case against him is politically motivated.

Sri Lanka's ruling party, headed by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, denies the claim.

The case against him is based on an investigation made into a visit he made to Britain in 2023 to attend a special graduation lunch as part of celebrations of his wife's honorary professorship at a university there.

A lawyer by profession, Wickremesinghe also served as Sri Lanka's prime minister a record six times, before becoming president in 2022 at the height of the island nation's debilitating financial crisis. (Reuters)