Sri Lankan anti-corruption authorities have arrested Shiranthi Rajapaksa, the wife of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, on allegations of misusing charity donations. The arrest was made in Colombo, and she was ordered to appear before a judge. According to authorities, the allegations relate to her charitable foundation, "Sirilia Saviya," which is accused of misusing donations collected for a children's hospital.
The allegations against Shiranthi Rajapaksa center on donations collected for a children's cancer hospital. The charity foundation "Sirilia Saviya" allegedly collected over 30,000 dollars in donations to purchase a positron emission tomography (PET) scanner for a local cancer hospital. However, investigations claim that the Chinese government had already donated the device, and the foundation continued to collect donations, misusing the funds.
Shiranthi Rajapaksa was summoned to the police station in September after returning from Singapore, where she had traveled for medical treatment. She was ordered to provide a statement regarding her charitable foundation. Her lawyers had requested a pre-trial release, but a court hearing is scheduled for October 12.
The Rajapaksa family has been embroiled in several corruption scandals. Shiranthi's son, Namal Rajapaksa, is currently in custody on allegations related to a 2013 aircraft purchase deal with Airbus. The Rajapaksa family has consistently denied all allegations of corruption, claiming that the cases against them are politically motivated.
Mahinda Rajapaksa served as Sri Lankan President from 2005 to 2015 and remains a prominent figure in the country's politics. His family has dominated Sri Lankan politics for nearly two decades. However, their influence has waned since mass protests led to the ousting of his brother, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, from the presidency in 2022.
The current government, led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has reopened investigations into long-stalled corruption cases involving the Rajapaksa family. The move is seen as an effort to restore public trust and accountability in the country's governance.
Shiranthi Rajapaksa has denied any wrongdoing, stating that the funds collected by her charitable foundation were not misused. Her case is one of several high-profile corruption allegations against the Rajapaksa family, which has faced intense scrutiny in recent years.
Key points
- The arrest of Shiranthi Rajapaksa is part of a broader effort to investigate corruption allegations against the Rajapaksa family.
- The allegations against Shiranthi Rajapaksa involve the misuse of charity donations collected for a children's hospital.
- The Rajapaksa family has consistently denied all allegations of corruption, claiming that the cases against them are politically motivated.
