Arrest of Shiranthi Rajapaksa Politically Motivated, Claims SLPP
09-Oct-2026.
The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) has alleged that the arrest of Shiranthi Rajapaksa was politically motivated.
The party’s general secretary, Sagara Kariyawasam, made the allegation at a press conference held in Colombo on 8 October 2026.
Addressing the media, he said:
“Shiranthi Rajapaksa is not a member of our party. However, she is the wife of our party leader, Mahinda Rajapaksa, and we regard her as someone deserving of our respect.
“She was notified on the 24th of last month to appear for questioning. At the time, she was preparing to travel overseas for medical treatment. She requested that a date be arranged for her to appear after returning to Sri Lanka within two weeks. She also informed the police of this after returning to the country.
“Under these circumstances, officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption went to her residence in Nugegoda in the early hours of the morning and arrested her without fixing another date or issuing any further notice. Had she been asked to appear, she would certainly have cooperated with the investigation. I therefore see no necessity for officers to have gone to her home to arrest her.
“The matter concerns the Siriliya Saviya social service organisation. Its bank account was frozen, along with the funds in it, following the change of government in 2015. Her lawyers have informed the court that the money remains in the account even today.
“Our party is currently engaged in a major campaign against this government, working alongside the public. Our national organiser, Namal Rajapaksa, has also been remanded for a considerable period in what we consider a grossly unjust manner, based on a false statement allegedly made by a person living in Australia. Now, our party leader’s wife has also been arrested.
“We therefore believe that political considerations lie behind Shiranthi Rajapaksa’s arrest. Nevertheless, the law must be applied equally to everyone. If an offence has been committed, we are prepared to face the law. Our party has never feared a free and fair judicial inquiry.
“However, instead of bringing charges, conducting a trial and imposing punishment thereafter, keeping someone in prison before trial on various grounds is something we regard as an action driven by political considerations.
“We have no issue with the functioning of the courts. The courts act on the information provided by investigators and the police. However, we believe that political interference is taking place in the process by which information is supplied to the courts,” Kariyawasam said.
