The Aporia · Former Sri Lankan first lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa arrested on charges of misusing donation funds and corruption

Shiranthi Rajapaksa, the former first lady of Sri Lanka and wife of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, has been arrested on charges of misusing donation funds for her charity organization. She was detained by police at her home on Wednesday and ordered to be held in jail pending further investigation into allegations involving a state bank donation meant for purchasing medical equipment. The arrest is part of broader investigations targeting the influential Rajapaksa family following years of alleged corruption and abuse of power during their rule.

Written by AI on 2026-10-08, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

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 2026-11-05, grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.

📰 Sri Lanka Charity Graft Probe

Politics · 3 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →

This article reads leans left and hedges 6% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.

Sri Lanka arrests ex-First Lady in charity graft probe Same event

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Hedges 1 of 13 claims Outlet record 60/100

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Shiranthi Rajapaksa has been jailed pending investigation into alleged corruption. asserted

Rajapaksa → jail → corruption

Authorities accuse her of misusing donation funds during her time as first lady of the island nation. asserted

Authorities → accuse → nation

The wife of Sri Lanka's powerful former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was detained on Wednesday on allegations of misusing donations received for her charity when she was first lady. asserted

she → detain → charity

Police questioned Shiranthi Rajapaksa at her home and later took her before a court, which ordered her detention for a week pending investigations. asserted

which → question → investigations

Police then escorted Rajapaksa, who had one eye bandaged from recent surgery, to a vehicle to be taken to a jail. asserted

eye → escort → jail

Rajapaksa was accused of misusing funds that her charity received as a donation from a state bank earmarked for the purchase of a scanner for a government hospital. asserted

charity → accuse → hospital

The then-head of the bank also was arrested for allegedly circumventing procedures in releasing the money to the charity. uncertain

head → arrest → charity

The court later released him on bail. asserted

court → release → bail

The former first couple's son, lawmaker Namal Rajapaksa, has also been detained on charges of bribery. asserted

son → detain → bribery

Ex-President Rajapaksa and his family were adored by the country's majority ethnic Sinhala Buddhists after he and his brother Gotabhaya Rajapaksa led a military campaign to defeat the now-defunct Tamil Tiger rebels and end a 26-year civil war in the island nation in 2009. asserted

he → adore → 2009

His popularity declined after his re-election in 2010 however, over rampant allegations of bribery, corruption and the stifling of freedoms, leading to his defeat while seeking a third term in 2015. asserted

popularity → decline → 2015

His family had wielded unbridled power — with his son, brothers, nephews and nieces holding top government positions. asserted

son → wield → positions

The family made a comeback in 2019 when security emerged as a key concern following Islamic State-inspired suicide bomb attacks that killed 267 people in churches and hotels on Easter Sunday. asserted

that → make → Sunday

Gotabhaya Rajapaksa was elected president later that year, but then the country suffered an economic crash brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, a tourism downturn and his economic decisions. asserted

country → elect → pandemic

He was forced to resign and flee the country amid massive public protests. asserted

He → force → protests

Anura Kumara Dissanayake later replaced him and became president, for which he campaigned on an anti-corruption ticket in 2024, promising to take action against anyone suspected of corruption in the Rajapaksa family and administrations that preceded them. asserted

that → replace → them

Former Sri Lankan first lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa arrested on charges of misusing donation funds and corruption

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