Colombo: Sri Lanka’s former first lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa was arrested Wednesday for alleged fraud involving her NGO Sirliya Saviya’s bank account.
Officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) arrested the wife of former Sri Lanka president Mahinda Rajapaksa at their residence in the Colombo eastern suburb of Polhengoda.
The 73-year-old had returned from Singapore Monday after receiving medical treatment.
The same morning, her lawyers had filed for anticipatory bail to prevent her arrest by the police’s Financial Crimes Division (FCID).
The FCID Tuesday asked her to present herself before them October 13.
According to the bribery commission, she was arrested over allegations that she obtained LKR 10 million from a state bank and committed offences under the Public Property Act and corruption-related provisions through its alleged misuse.
She left for Singapore two weeks ago, and at the airport the FCID had served her a notice to appear before the panel September 24.
The FCID is currently investigating the work of her Siriliya Saviya Foundation, which she headed during her husband’s presidency from 2005 to 2015.
Her elder son, Namal Rajapaksa, a lawmaker from the opposition Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, is being held in the Colombo Remand Prison since September 4 in two different cases of alleged bribery.
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