Key facts
- Shiranthi Rajapaksa, wife of former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, was arrested on Wednesday.
- The arrest is over allegations of misusing 10 million rupees ($30,300) in donations for a children's hospital.
- The donations were collected by the Siriliya Saviya charity for a specialized scanner for Lady Ridgeway Children's Hospital.
- Officials claim a scanner had already been donated by the Chinese government.
- Shiranthi Rajapaksa denies any wrongdoing and states the money is safe in the charity's accounts.
- She returned to Sri Lanka on Monday after receiving medical treatment in Singapore.
Sri Lanka's former first lady, Shiranthi Rajapaksa, was arrested on Wednesday by anti-corruption authorities at her Colombo home. The 73-year-old wife of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa is being questioned over allegations that her charity, Siriliya Saviya, misused 10 million rupees ($30,300) in donations. The funds were reportedly raised for a specialized scanner for Colombo's Lady Ridgeway Children's Hospital.
Officials stated that the Chinese government had already donated such a scanner. Shiranthi Rajapaksa has denied any wrongdoing, asserting that the money remains secure in the charity's accounts and has not been misappropriated. She returned to Sri Lanka on Monday after a period of medical treatment in Singapore and had filed a court petition to prevent her arrest, with a hearing scheduled for October 12.
Manoj Gamage, a spokesperson for Mahinda Rajapaksa, confirmed that the money is safe and no fraud has occurred. The Rajapaksa family previously held significant political power in Sri Lanka, with Mahinda Rajapaksa serving as president from 2005 to 2015. His brother, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, was ousted in 2022 amid widespread protests fueled by economic hardship. The current government, led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has been pursuing corruption investigations involving members of the Rajapaksa family. Their eldest son, Namal Rajapaksa, was arrested earlier this year on charges related to an aircraft procurement deal, and his brother Yoshitha was also arrested on corruption charges.