Former First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa Arrested by Bribery Commission

Former First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa, the wife of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, has been arrested by officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).

Shiranthi Rajapaksa was arrested at her residence on Poorwarama Road in Kirulapone.

According to the Bribery Commission, she was taken into custody after officers recorded a statement from her for nearly two hours.

She was arrested over allegations concerning financial irregularities and transactions involving an account linked to the Siriliya Saviya Fund.

Meanwhile, police said Shiranthi Rajapaksa, who returned to Sri Lanka on Monday night (October 5), had previously been instructed to appear before the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) on October 13.

The former First Lady returned to the country on a flight from Malaysia after travelling to Singapore in the early hours of September 16 for medical treatment.

She had been admitted to a private hospital in Colombo on September 15 after reportedly falling ill and was subsequently taken directly from the hospital to the airport, according to reports.

Meanwhile, attorneys representing Shiranthi Rajapaksa filed an anticipatory bail application before the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court on Monday (October 5), seeking an order to prevent her arrest in connection with an ongoing investigation into the financial affairs of the Siriliya Saviya organisation.