Sri Lanka’s former First Lady, Shiranthi Rajapaksa, has been arrested as part of an investigation into alleged misuse of funds raised through a charity linked to her.
The 73-year-old wife of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was arrested at her home in Colombo on Wednesday by the country’s anti-corruption authorities. She was subsequently taken for questioning over a 10 million Sri Lankan rupee ($30,000) donation received by the Siriliya Saviya Foundation.
The money was reportedly intended to help provide a specialised scanner for Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children. Investigators, however, allege that the equipment had already been donated by China, raising questions over the subsequent use of the funds.
Rajapaksa has denied wrongdoing and maintains that the money was not misappropriated. Her spokesperson, Manoj Gamage, has also said the funds remain in the charity’s accounts and that no fraud occurred.
The former First Lady had returned to Sri Lanka earlier this week after travelling to Singapore for medical treatment. She had sought court protection against possible arrest, but a hearing on her petition was scheduled for October 12.
Her arrest comes as President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s administration revives corruption investigations involving members of the Rajapaksa family.
Mahinda Rajapaksa was president from 2005 to 2015 and remained a dominant figure in Sri Lankan politics for years. His family’s influence declined sharply after the country’s 2022 economic crisis triggered mass protests that forced his brother, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, from office.
Other family members, including former MP Namal Rajapaksa, have also faced corruption-related investigations and legal proceedings.
