Former First Lady Shiranthi Wickramasinghe Rajapaksa was arrested on Wednesday by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) over a CT scanner that was never delivered to the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children in Colombo.
CIABOC said officers arrested her at about 9:56 a.m. at her residence on Poorwarama Road in Kirulapone, Colombo. She was later taken to the Bribery Commission, where she is being questioned.
According to the allegations, Rs. 10 million was obtained from the National Savings Bank through the Siriliya Saviya organisation to provide a Computed Tomography (CT) scanner to the children’s hospital. Investigators allege the scanner was not provided and the money was misappropriated.
The allegations include corruption offences and the unlawful misappropriation of government funds under the Public Property Act. She is accused in connection with these allegations and has not been found guilty of any offence.
She is expected to be produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court.
