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Wednesday, October 7 2026
Wednesday, October 7 2026
MONETABRIEF — Sri Lanka’s anti-graft authority arrested former first lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa on Wednesday over allegations that her charity misused donations collected for a children’s hospital.
The 73-year-old wife of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was arrested in Colombo and immediately taken to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).
She was seen wearing a patch over her right eye after recently receiving treatment in Singapore for an eye ailment. Mahinda Rajapaksa was at their home when she was arrested by CIABOC officials.
"The arrest is in connection with her Siriliya Saviya Foundation," a CIABOC official told reporters at the Rajapaksa home.
Shiranthi travelled to Singapore on September 16 for medical treatment and was served with a summons at Colombo airport to provide a statement about her charity.
She failed to return as scheduled on September 24 but flew back on Monday after filing a court petition seeking to prevent her arrest.
Her application for anticipatory bail is due to be heard on October 12.
Police want to question her about 10 million rupees collected by Siriliya Saviya for a PET scanner for a children’s cancer hospital.
Investigators told a court last month that the scanner had already been donated by the Chinese government but alleged that the charity continued to solicit donations and misused the funds. Shiranthi has denied any wrongdoing.
Her lawyer, Manoj Gamage, said the money raised for the scanner had not been spent and remained in the Siriliya Saviya account. The money was raised between 2011 and 2012.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s government has revived long-dormant graft investigations involving members of the once-powerful Rajapaksa family, which dominated Sri Lankan politics for nearly two decades.
The former first lady’s eldest son, opposition lawmaker Namal Rajapaksa, is in remand custody over allegations linked to a 2013 Airbus aircraft deal signed during his father’s presidency.
Her second son, Yoshitha, is on bail in connection with a money-laundering case, while her third and youngest son, Rohitha, is also under investigation for corruption. Several other close family members are either on bail or under investigation.
Some of their close associates are in jail.
The Rajapaksa family has denied the corruption allegations and dismissed the cases as politically motivated. (Colombo/Oct 7/2026)
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