In brief
The 73‑year‑old wife of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was arrested in Colombo on allegations that a charity she is tied to diverted 10 million rupees ($30,300) meant to buy a medical scanner for Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital. Officials argue the scanner was already donated by China, but the funds are still under scrutiny. Rajapaksa denies wrongdoing and claims the money remains safe in the charity’s accounts. This arrest follows earlier takes‑aside of Rajapaksa family members amid a wave of corruption probes that began under the current administration.
Sri Lanka’s former first lady, Shiranthi Rajapaksa, was held at her Colombo home by anti‑corruption authorities on Wednesday. The arrest follows accusations that the Siriliya Saviya charity she is linked to misused 10 million Rupiah raised to buy a specialised scanner for the Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital.
The charity claimed the scanner would help treat young patients, but officials say the Chinese government had already donated a similar machine, leaving the new money in question. Rajapaksa insists no wrongdoing has occurred and claims the funds are safe in the charity’s accounts.
She returned from Singapore, where she received medical treatment, and had filed a court petition to stop her arrest. The hearing of that petition is set for 12 October.
The move is part of renewed investigations into the Rajapaksa family that began after protests in 2022 that toppled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Earlier this year, their eldest son Namal Rajapaksa was detained over a questionable aircraft deal, and his brother Yoshitha faced corruption charges.
Sri Lanka’s current president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, spearheads a crackdown on corruption, aiming to restore public trust after years of political dominance by the Rajapaksas.
