Chiranthi Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka's former first lady, was arrested on allegations that her foundation embezzled donations meant for a children's hospital.
Foreign news agencies reported that Chiranthi Rajapaksa, the former first lady of Sri Lanka, was arrested at her residence in Colombo last Wednesday (7 Oct 2026) by officials from the Anti-Corruption Office, accused of misusing donations intended for a children's hospital by a charity linked to her.
Officials interrogated Chiranthi about 10 million rupees (approximately 1 million baht) raised by the Siriliya Saviya foundation, originally intended to purchase a specialized medical scanner for Lady Ridgeway Children's Hospital in Colombo. However, investigations revealed that the scanner had already been donated by the Chinese government.
Chiranthi denied all accusations and insisted that no embezzlement had occurred.
The 73-year-old Chiranthi had just returned to Sri Lanka on Monday (5 Oct) after medical treatment in Singapore. She had previously filed a court petition to prevent her arrest, but the court scheduled a hearing for 12 Oct.
Manoj Gamage, spokesperson for former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, stated that the funds remain safely in the Siriliya foundation's account and that no corruption has taken place.
Mahinda Rajapaksa served as Sri Lanka's president from 2005 to 2015, while his family has long wielded significant political influence. He is widely regarded by many as a hero for ending the nearly three-decade civil war by defeating the Tamil Tiger rebels in 2009 during his first term.
However, in 2022, widespread protests erupted nationwide over soaring inflation and severe shortages of fuel, food, and medicine. This pressure ultimately forced Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Mahinda's brother and then-president, to resign.
The current Sri Lankan government, led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has revived long-standing corruption investigations involving several members of the Rajapaksa family.
Earlier this year, Namal Rajapaksa, eldest son of Mahinda and Chiranthi, was arrested on charges related to aircraft procurement during his father's presidency and remains in custody. Additionally, another son, Yoshitha, was also arrested on corruption charges earlier this year.
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Source:bbc