Sri Lanka Summons Ex-First Lady in Charity Probe

Sri Lankan police have summoned former First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa for questioning as part of an investigation into alleged misuse of funds linked to her charity, Siriliya Saviya. The case is being investigated by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) and comes amid a wider anti-corruption drive in Sri Lanka.

Rajapaksa has been asked to appear before the FCID on September 24 in connection with the investigation. She left Sri Lanka for Singapore on Wednesday for medical treatment. A member of the Rajapaksa family said she received the written notice at the airport while preparing to board her flight and denied that she had travelled abroad to avoid questioning.

The investigation concerns about 10 million Sri Lankan rupees that were provided for a medical scanner for Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children in Colombo. Investigators are examining whether the money was used for its intended purpose. Reports say a scanner had already been provided to Sri Lanka by China, raising questions about the use of the funds collected or provided for the equipment.

The allegations have been denied by the Rajapaksa family. Family representatives have maintained that there was no misuse of the funds. The investigation is ongoing, and the allegations have not been established in court.

The case is part of wider scrutiny involving members of the influential Rajapaksa family. Namal Rajapaksa, Shiranthi Rajapaksa’s eldest son and an opposition parliamentarian, was arrested earlier this month in connection with an investigation into a 2013 SriLankan Airlines Airbus aircraft transaction. He was subsequently remanded until September 18.

Namal Rajapaksa has denied wrongdoing. He has also been named as a suspect in a separate money-laundering investigation connected to the same Airbus transaction.

The investigations have increased attention on the Rajapaksa family, which held senior political positions in Sri Lanka for many years. Mahinda Rajapaksa served as president from 2005 to 2015, while his younger brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa served as president before leaving office in 2022.

The latest investigation involving Shiranthi Rajapaksa will continue when she is expected to provide a statement to the FCID. Authorities are examining the financial records and circumstances surrounding the charity’s funds as part of the ongoing inquiry.