Shiranthi Rajapaksa's bail application rejected by Sri Lankan court

The Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court has rejected an anticipatory bail application from former First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa. The application sought to prevent her arrest by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) regarding an investigation into the Siriliya Saviya account.

Rajapaksa, the wife of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, was arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) on Wednesday. She is accused of misappropriating Rs. 10 million from the National Savings Bank through the Siriliya Saviya organization. While the funds were purportedly intended to purchase a CT scanner for the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children, investigators allege the scanner was never provided and the money was misused. She faces charges of corruption and offenses under the Public Property Act.

Her detention is viewed as a significant escalation in Sri Lanka’s anti-corruption efforts, signaling a potential increase in scrutiny toward the influential Rajapaksa family and their associates as the government seeks to address public demands for accountability following the nation’s economic crisis.