Sri Lanka's former first lady, Shiranthi Rajapaksa, was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly misusing LKR 10 million (approximately 29.3 lakhs) meant to acquire a CT scanner for the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children through her charity, Siriliya Saviya. The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) arrested Rajapaksa at her home in Colombo and ordered her to remain in custody until October 13 while investigations continue. Rajapaksa’s defense claims the funds are still intact in the charity's account, but officials question their intended use given that a scanner was already donated by China.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On October 7, 2026, Shiranthi Rajapaksa, the ex-wife of former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, was arrested in Colombo by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) over alleged misuse of funds from her charity, Siriliya Saviya Foundation. The 73-year-old had traveled to Singapore for medical treatment but returned on October 5, only to be served with a summons and subsequently arrested at the airport. She is accused of misusing LKR 10 million ($29,300) donated by the state-run National Savings Bank intended for purchasing a CT scanner for Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children in Colombo. The court ordered her to remain in custody until October 13 pending further investigation and denied anticipatory bail she sought earlier. Additionally, former bank chairman Pradeep Kariyawasam was arrested but later released on bail after questioning regarding the transfer of funds without proper procedures. This arrest is part of ongoing investigations into corruption allegations against the influential Rajapaksa family, which previously dominated Sri Lankan politics for nearly two decades.
Written for “Sri Lanka Charity Graft Probe” on 2026-10-08,
grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 65101 · logged 2026-10-08
has been arrested over allegations of misusing LKR 10 million (approx 29.3 lakhs) linked to a charity she headed.
asserted
she → arrest → charity
The 73-year-old was arrested at her Colombo home on Wednesday by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).
asserted
old → arrest → Bribery
She was later produced before a Colombo court, which ordered her to remain in custody until October 13 while investigations continue.
asserted
investigations → produce → October
The investigation centres on Siriliya Saviya, a charitable organisation headed by Shiranthi Rajapaksa.
asserted
investigation → centre → Rajapaksa
Investigators allege that LKR 10 million obtained from the state-run National Savings Bank was meant to help provide a CT scanner to Colombo’s Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children, but that the scanner was not supplied and the funds were instead misused.
asserted
funds → allege → Children
The case also involves former National Savings Bank chairman Pradeep Kariyawasam, who was arrested over allegations that the money was transferred to the Siriliya Saviya account without following proper procedures.
asserted
money → involve → procedures
He was later released on bail.
asserted
He → release → bail
There is a dispute over what happened to the money.
asserted
what → be → money
Shiranthi Rajapaksa’s lawyers told court that the funds remain in the Siriliya Saviya bank account and have not been misappropriated.
asserted
funds → tell → account
Her defence also said the organisation had been trying to raise about LKR 160 million for the CT scanner.
asserted
organisation → say → scanner
Sri Lankan officials have also pointed to the fact that a scanner had already been donated to the hospital by China, raising questions over the purpose of the funds collected for the equipment.
asserted
scanner → point → equipment
Rajapaksa has denied wrongdoing.
asserted
Rajapaksa → deny → wrongdoing
She was closely associated with Siriliya Saviya, which undertook charitable and welfare activities during her years as first lady.
asserted
which → associate → lady
Mahinda Rajapaksa dominated Sri Lankan politics for years, serving as president from 2005 to 2015 and gaining popularity after government forces defeated the LTTE in 2009, ending the 26-year civil war.
asserted
forces → dominate → war
His family subsequently became a powerful political dynasty, with his brothers, sons and other relatives holding key positions.
asserted
brothers → become → positions
His popularity waned amid allegations of corruption and abuse of power, and he lost the presidency in 2015.
asserted
he → wan → 2015
The family returned to power in 2019 when his brother Gotabaya became president, but his government was eventually overwhelmed by an economic crisis that triggered mass protests in 2022 and forced him to resign and flee the country.
asserted
that → return → country
Why are the Rajapaksas facing corruption cases now?
asserted
Rajapaksas → face → cases
Sri Lanka’s current president Anura Kumara Dissanayake came to power in 2024 on an anti-corruption platform and pledged to pursue cases involving alleged wrongdoing under previous governments.
asserted
president → come → governments
His government has since revived several investigations involving members of the Rajapaksa family.
asserted
government → revive → family
Shiranthi’s arrest follows legal troubles involving her sons as well.
asserted
arrest → follow → sons
Her eldest son, Namal Rajapaksa, a lawmaker and former minister, has been detained in a separate bribery case.
asserted
son → detain → case
Another son, Yoshitha Rajapaksa, was also arrested earlier this year on corruption-related allegations.
asserted
son → arrest → allegations
The Aporia
