{
  "id": 12704890,
  "title": "Sri Lanka arrests ex-first lady in charity graft probe",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/sri-lanka-arrests-ex-first-lady-in-charity-graft-probe-12704890",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-07T20:30:18.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch Nigeria",
    "slug": "punch-nigeria",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/sri-lanka-arrests-ex-first-lady-in-charity-graft-probe/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Sri Lanka's anti-graft authority has arrested former first lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa over allegations of misusing donations collected for a children's hospital. According to KahawaTungu, the 73-year-old wife of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was arrested at their Colombo home on Wednesday. The charity, Siriliya Saviya, had collected 10 million rupees ($30,300; £22,800) for a specialised scanner for Colombo's Lady Ridgeway Children's Hospital, but officials say the scanner had already been donated by the Chinese government.\n\nShiranthi Rajapaksa has denied any wrongdoing, saying the money has not been appropriated, according to KahawaTungu. Her lawyer, Manoj Gamage, also stated that the money is safe in Siriliya's accounts and that no fraud has occurred. The former first lady was remanded in custody until October 13 by a Colombo magistrate, who also ordered her to be admitted to the prison hospital due to an eye condition, as reported by New Straits Times.\n\nThe arrest is part of a revival of long-dormant graft investigations involving members of the once-powerful Rajapaksa family, which dominated Sri Lankan politics for nearly two decades, according to New Straits Times and South China Morning Post. Another Rajapaksa-era official, former foreign minister Rohitha Bogollagama, was also arrested on Wednesday for corruption. The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) also arrested the former head of a state-owned bank, Pradeep Kariyawasam, in connection with a 10 million rupee donation to the charity, as reported by South China Morning Post.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 10,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "BBC World",
        "title": "Sri Lanka's ex-first lady arrested over alleged misuse of children's hospital donations",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/sri-lankas-ex-first-lady-arrested-over-alleged-misuse-of-childrens",
        "published": "2026-10-07T09:49:31.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
        "title": "Sri Lanka’s ex-first lady arrested over alleged misuse of children’s hospital donations",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/sri-lankas-ex-first-lady-arrested-over-alleged-misuse-of-childrens-12619357",
        "published": "2026-10-07T11:59:21.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
        "title": "Sri Lanka’s ex-first lady arrested in charity corruption probe",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/sri-lankas-ex-first-lady-arrested-in-charity-corruption-probe",
        "published": "2026-10-07T13:00:08.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Sri Lanka's Rajapaksa family hit as ex-first lady arrested in graft probe",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/sri-lankas-rajapaksa-family-hit-as-ex-first-lady-arrested-in-graft",
        "published": "2026-10-07T15:11:08.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "KahawaTungu",
        "title": "Sri Lanka’s ex-first lady arrested over alleged misuse of children’s hospital donations",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/sri-lankas-ex-first-lady-arrested-over-alleged-misuse-of-childrens-12652330",
        "published": "2026-10-07T15:16:23.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Sri Lanka’s former first lady is arrested on corruption allegations",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/sri-lankas-former-first-lady-is-arrested-on-corruption-allegations",
        "published": "2026-10-07T15:36:30.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "NDTV",
        "title": "Sri Lanka's Rajapaksa Family Under Pressure After Former First Lady's Arrest",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/sri-lankas-rajapaksa-family-under-pressure-after-former-first-ladys",
        "published": "2026-10-07T15:48:15.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Punch",
        "title": "Sri Lanka arrests ex-first lady in charity graft probe",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/sri-lanka-arrests-ex-first-lady-in-charity-graft-probe",
        "published": "2026-10-07T20:26:18.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Qatar Tribune",
        "title": "Sri Lanka’s ex-first lady arrested over alleged misuse of children’s hospital donations",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/sri-lankas-ex-first-lady-arrested-over-alleged-misuse-of-childrens-12719533",
        "published": "2026-10-07T21:54:38.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}