WORLDBBC NewsWED 07 OCT 2026 / 4:49 AM CDT

Sri Lanka's ex-first lady arrested over alleged misuse of children's hospital donations

Sri Lanka's former first lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa has been arrested over allegations that a charity she is linked to misused donations raised for a children's hospital.

Anti-corruption authorities arrested the 73-year-old wife of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa at their Colombo home on Wednesday.

They are questioning her over the 10 million rupees ($30,300; £22,800) of donations collected by the Siriliya Saviya charity, meant to be spent on a specialised scanner for Colombo's Lady Ridgeway Children's Hospital.

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Sri Lanka's ex-first lady arrested over alleged misuse of children's hospital donations

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