Former First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa has once again come under public scrutiny following her departure for Singapore early Wednesday (16), days before she is reportedly due to appear before the Financial Crimes Investigation Division.
Rajapaksa left Bandaranaike International Airport aboard Singapore Airlines flight SQ 469, accompanied by Anne de Livera, the mother of Rohitha Rajapaksa’s wife.
Her departure comes ahead of her scheduled appearance before the Financial Crimes Investigation Division on 24 September.
Several investigations and allegations involving Rajapaksa have emerged over the years. However, the existence of an investigation or complaint does not establish guilt, and no conviction against her in relation to the matters outlined below has been reported.
Siriliya Saviya bank account
The Siriliya Saviya account was opened at the Suduwella branch of People’s Bank under account number 143100146235069 as a joint account held by Rajapaksa and two others.
The information provided when opening the account reportedly listed Carlton House in Tangalle as the address of all three account holders. Rajapaksa’s National Identity Card number was recorded as 222222222V.
Questions were subsequently raised over the validity of the number, as the first two digits of identification numbers issued under the former system generally indicated the holder’s year of birth. Rajapaksa was not born in 1922, prompting allegations that a false identification number had been submitted.
On 1 June 2015, the then Financial Crimes Investigation Division questioned Rajapaksa at the Speaker’s official residence over the account.
The inquiry followed a complaint alleging suspicious transactions involving deposits amounting to millions of rupees made to the account through several bank branches. The complainants had also alleged that a false National Identity Card number was used to open it.
Children’s Hospital CT scanner investigation
Investigators have also begun examining allegations relating to funds collected to purchase a CT scanner for the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children in Colombo.
The allegation is that a donation was obtained from a state bank to purchase the scanner, while a CT scanner provided to Sri Lanka by the Chinese Government was later presented to the hospital as a donation from the Siriliya Foundation.
Police are reportedly investigating Rajapaksa and others in connection with the matter.
Representatives of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna have rejected allegations of misappropriation, maintaining that the money raised for the scanner remains intact in the Siriliya account.
Defender vehicle linked to Thajudeen investigation
In 2017, Rajapaksa was summoned by the Criminal Investigation Department to record a statement in connection with investigations into the killing of rugby player Wasim Thajudeen.
The questioning concerned a Defender bearing registration number WP KA-0642, which the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society had provided to Siriliya Saviya.
The Red Cross had informed the CID that the vehicle was used by the organisation from August 2011 until 20 January 2015.
Rajapaksa did not appear before the CID on 27 July 2017, the date on which she had been summoned.
The Red Cross had earlier disclosed that CID officers questioned its senior officials about the vehicle on 30 June 2015.
Luxury buses provided to Carlton Preschool
The CID has also reportedly launched an investigation into allegations that two luxury buses worth millions of rupees were imported duty-free under the pretext of being brought into the country for the Sports Ministry and were subsequently provided to Carlton Preschool, which operated under Rajapaksa.
Investigators are examining whether the transaction involved corruption or financial irregularities.
Alleged sale of Treasury-owned gold
In January 2015, Shyamali Priyadarshani Perera, the wife of former Deputy Inspector General of Police Vass Gunawardena, lodged a complaint with the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, alleging that Rajapaksa was connected to the fraudulent sale of gold belonging to the State Treasury.
Speaking to journalists after submitting the complaint, Perera alleged that the former Rajapaksa administration had retaliated against her husband because he had examined evidence relating to the alleged transaction.
The allegation was made by Perera and has not been established through a court judgment.
