Sri Lanka’s Former First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa Arrested Over Charity Funds

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka’s former first lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa has been arrested over allegations that donations raised by a charity associated with her were misused, in the latest corruption investigation involving the powerful Rajapaksa family.

The 73-year-old wife of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was arrested at the family’s home in Colombo on Wednesday by anti-corruption authorities.

Investigators are questioning her over approximately 10 million Sri Lankan rupees ($30,300) collected by the Siriliya Saviya charity to purchase a specialised medical scanner for Colombo’s Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital.

Authorities allege that the fundraising was unnecessary because a similar scanner had already been donated to the hospital by the Chinese government.

Rajapaksa Denies Wrongdoing

Shiranthi Rajapaksa has denied any wrongdoing and maintained that the donated funds were not misappropriated.

Her arrest came shortly after she returned to Sri Lanka from Singapore, where she had been receiving medical treatment.

She had previously filed a court petition seeking to prevent authorities from arresting her. However, the court hearing has been scheduled for 12 October, leaving authorities free to proceed with the arrest in the meantime.

A spokesperson for Mahinda Rajapaksa, Manoj Gamage, also denied allegations of fraud, saying the money remains in Siriliya Saviya's accounts.

The allegations have not been proven in court, and Rajapaksa remains entitled to due process.

Investigation Into Siriliya Saviya Donations

The investigation centres on funds collected through Siriliya Saviya, a charity associated with the former first lady.

The donations were reportedly intended to finance specialised equipment for Lady Ridgeway Children's Hospital, one of Sri Lanka's major paediatric medical facilities.

Investigators are examining why funds were collected for the equipment despite claims that the Chinese government had already provided the hospital with a scanner of the same type.

Authorities have not indicated that the funds have disappeared, while Rajapaksa's representatives maintain that the money remains under the charity's control.

The case will therefore focus on how the fundraising was organised, how the donations were managed and whether any laws were breached.

Renewed Scrutiny of the Rajapaksa Family

The arrest is part of a broader revival of corruption investigations involving members of the Rajapaksa family under President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's administration.

The Rajapaksas dominated Sri Lankan politics for years, with Mahinda Rajapaksa serving as president from 2005 to 2015 and later holding the position of prime minister.

Mahinda became particularly popular among many Sri Lankans after government forces defeated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 2009, ending the country's nearly three-decade civil war.

However, the family's political dominance came under severe pressure during Sri Lanka's economic crisis in 2022.

Economic Crisis Transformed Sri Lankan Politics

Sri Lanka experienced severe shortages of fuel, food and medicine as the country struggled with an economic crisis and rapidly rising inflation.

Large-scale protests eventually forced then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Mahinda's younger brother, to leave office.

The crisis dramatically weakened the Rajapaksa family's political influence and fuelled public demands for greater accountability over alleged corruption and economic mismanagement.

The current administration has subsequently revived several investigations that had remained unresolved or stalled under previous governments.

Other Rajapaksa Family Members Investigated

Shiranthi Rajapaksa is not the only member of the family facing legal scrutiny.

Her eldest son, Namal Rajapaksa, was arrested earlier this year over allegations connected to an aircraft procurement deal dating from his father's presidency. He remains in remand custody.

Another son, Yoshitha Rajapaksa, was also arrested earlier this year in connection with corruption allegations.

The Rajapaksa family has consistently rejected allegations of wrongdoing and has described some of the investigations as politically motivated.

Case Could Have Wider Political Implications

The arrest of a former first lady marks another significant development in Sri Lanka's continuing efforts to investigate allegations involving the country's former political establishment.

The case is likely to attract considerable attention because of the Rajapaksa family's long-standing influence and the political demands for accountability that emerged during the 2022 economic crisis.

For investigators, the immediate question is whether the charity funds were handled unlawfully. For the Rajapaksa family, the case adds to a series of legal challenges facing its members.

The next major development is expected when the court considers Shiranthi Rajapaksa's petition on 12 October, while investigators continue examining the management and intended use of the charity's donations.