Sri Lanka arrests ex-first lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa in charity graft probe

Sri Lanka's anti-graft authority arrested former first lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa, 73, on Wednesday over allegations that her Siriliya Saviya Foundation misused donations raised for a children's hospital. A Colombo magistrate remanded her in custody until Tuesday. The arrest is a blow to the Rajapaksa family, which dominated Sri Lankan politics for nearly two decades.

Why was Shiranthi Rajapaksa arrested?

Investigators allege her Siriliya Saviya Foundation misused money raised for a scanner for a children's cancer hospital. They told a court the Chinese government had already donated the scanner, but the charity allegedly kept soliciting donations. Her lawyer says she denies the allegations.

The foundation had raised money to buy equipment for hospitals, including a children's cancer facility. Police said the authorities wanted to question her over the donations collected for the scanner.

What happened in court after the arrest?

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) arrested her earlier in the day and questioned her for nearly seven hours. She was then produced before a Colombo magistrate.

"The magistrate ordered her to be held in custody till October 13 and to admit her to the prison hospital because of an eye condition," a court official told reporters outside the Colombo Magistrate's Court. Her lawyer, Manoj Gamage, said she will contest the charges of misappropriating donations raised for charity.

CIABOC also arrested the former head of a state-owned bank, accusing him of giving 10 million rupees ($30,000) to her charity. Pradeep Kariyawasam, the then-chairman of the National Savings Bank, was released on bail.

What led up to the arrest of Sri Lanka's former first lady?

Shiranthi Rajapaksa travelled to Singapore on September 16 for medical treatment. She was served with a summons at Colombo airport to give police a statement about her charity.

She flew back on Monday after filing a court petition seeking to prevent her arrest. The hearing for anticipatory bail had been fixed for October 12.

What other legal troubles does the Rajapaksa family face?

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's government has revived long-dormant graft investigations involving members of the Rajapaksa family. Her 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.

A Rajapaksa-era foreign minister, Rohitha Bogollagama, was also arrested on Wednesday for corruption. The Colombo High Court ordered the 72-year-old held in custody until the end of a trial against him for misusing state funds in 2006, when he was minister of investment promotion.

The family has consistently denied the corruption allegations and dismissed the cases as politically motivated. Mahinda Rajapaksa served as president from 2005 to 2015 and remains one of Sri Lanka's most influential political figures, despite the family's decline since mass protests ousted his brother, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, from the presidency in 2022.