The CID today arrested UPFA MP Wimal Weerawansa at the Bandaranaike International Airport over discrepancy in his passport, the police said.

Weerawansa was stopped from leaving the country this morning over a passport discrepancy and was detained by the CID.

He arrived at the airport to board a flight for Rome, Italy. He was to visit Europe for a lecture series.

It was reported that Weerawansa had obtained visa for a passport which he reported lost.

Speaking to media earlier in the day, Weerawansa said that he recently lost his passport and had obtained a new one. Later he found the lost passport and had mistakenly sent it to stamp the visa. However in this period he also lost the passport he had newly obtained, Weerawansa further maintained.

According to Weerawansa, the Immigration officers had told him that if he was able to get new passport, he could travel with the Visa stamped in the old passport. Thereafter, he had visited the Immigration and Emigration office in Colombo and obtained a new passport. Then he had returned to BIA with the rejected old passport and the new passport.

CID officers, who were present at the time stopped and questioned him, Weerawansa said.