In brief
The 73‑year‑old former first lady of Sri Lanka was taken into custody on Wednesday after anti‑corruption authorities questioned her about the use of 10 million rupees raised by the Siriliya Saviya charity for a scanner at Colombo’s Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital. Officials say the equipment was already donated by the Chinese government, while Shiranthi denies any wrongdoing. The arrest follows a series of probes into the Rajapaksa family, including the detentions of her eldest son Namal over an aircraft procurement scandal and his brother Yoshitha on corruption charges. The ex‑wife returned to Sri Lanka from Singapore for medical treatment the week before her arrest and filed a court petition to halt the proceedings, which is set for 12 October.
The 73‑year‑old former first lady of Sri Lanka, Shiranthi Rajapaksa, was arrested yesterday by the country’s anti‑corruption watchdog on suspicions that a charity connected to her misappropriated 10 million rupees (roughly $30,300) collected for a specialised scanner at the Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital in Colombo.
Anti‑corruption authorities led investigators to Rajapaksa’s Colombo residence, where she was taken into custody. Following routine questioning, the officials are looking into whether the donor money was diverted from its intended destination. The charity, Siriliya Saviya, was established to gather funds specifically for the acquisition of a medical scanner that would benefit children with complex health conditions.
Officials point out that the Canadian government had already donated a scanner to the hospital, calling the requested funds “redundant.” Rajapaksa has denied misusing the money and claims the funds remain securely held in Siriliya’s accounts.
She returned to Sri Lanka on Monday after medical treatment in Singapore, and had filed a court petition hoping to block her arrest. The hearing is scheduled for 12 October, giving her a brief period to argue her case.
Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, whom Shiranthi married in 1967, ruled Sri Lanka from 2005 to 2015, and his family has long been a powerful political force. The Rajapaksas were credited with ending the civil war in 2009 but faced widespread protests in 2022 when the country’s economy collapsed amid soaring inflation, food shortages, and fuel shortages. His brother, former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, resigned in the wake of the protests, and the new administration under President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has intensified investigations into the family’s alleged corruption.
The latest arrest follows earlier detentions within the family: Namal Rajapaksa, the eldest son, was arrested over allegations related to an aircraft procurement deal, and his brother Yoshitha was also taken into custody on corruption charges.
These developments are part of a broader inquiry that seeks to address allegations of mismanagement of public funds by former leaders and their associates. The case will be watched closely by both domestic observers and the international community according to the political and economic climate in Sri Lanka.
