In brief
Shiranthi Rajapaksa, the 73‑year‑old former first lady of Sri Lanka, was arrested in Colombo over claims that a charity she is tied to misappropriated 10 million rupees meant for a new scanner at the Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital. The investigators say the scanner has already been donated by China, so the money must have been redirected. Rajapaksa has denied any wrongdoing and says the funds remain in the charity’s account. Her arrest comes amid revived probes into the Rajapaksa family’s business dealings after the nation’s recent political turmoil and a wave of corruption investigations under President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
Shiranthi Rajapaksa Arrested Over Donation Misuse
- Shiranthi Rajapaksa was taken into custody at her Colombo home on Wednesday.
- The arrest relates to a 10 million rupee donation raised by the Siriliya Saviya charity for a specialised scanner at the Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital.
- Officials say the scanner already arrived from China, raising questions about how the money was used.
- Rajapaksa denies wrongdoing and claims the funds are still in the charity’s accounts.
She returned to Sri Lanka Monday from Singapore, where she had been receiving medical treatment, and was already seeking a court order to halt her arrest – the hearing set for 12 October. This move comes as the current government, led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has renewed investigations into the Rajapaksa family. Earlier this year, Mahinda Rajapaksa’s eldest son, Namal, and his brother Yoshitha, were also arrested on corruption charges.
The raid underscores the ongoing backlash against the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s administration, whose family dominated Sri Lankan politics for a decade and faced widespread protests in 2022 over economic collapse and shortages.
