A long-silent controversy involving former First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa and the ‘Siriliya Saviya’ bank account resurfaces as the Deputy Justice Minister announces the case will be reopened. Allegations include fake ID use, missing documents, suspicious transactions, and a mysterious Defender Jeep.
A dormant financial scandal involving former First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa has once again come to light, with renewed scrutiny over a controversial bank account linked to the social service initiative ‘Siriliya Saviya’. Deputy Minister of Justice and Attorney-at-Law Sunil Watagala reignited public interest in the case during a recent parliamentary session, alleging serious financial misconduct and urging the Attorney General’s office to resume the investigation.
According to Watagala, the People’s Bank Suduwella branch hosted the suspicious account, numbered 143-1-001-4-6235069, opened on November 14, 2006, under the name ‘Siriliya Saviya’. The Deputy Minister claimed that the account was initiated using falsified documentation, including a questionable national ID number allegedly belonging to Shiranthi Rajapaksa.
“This account was created with fraudulent details, listing the Carlton House in Tangalle as the residence for all account holders. The National ID number provided for Mrs. Rajapaksa was 222222222V – a number that suggests a birth year of 1922, which clearly doesn’t match her actual age,” Watagala stated.
He further revealed that while Rs. 82.9 million had been deposited into the account on 88 occasions, withdrawals totaling Rs. 39.1 million were made 129 times. A fixed deposit of Rs. 100,000 also exists under the account. Presently, the account holds a balance of Rs. 43 million. Investigations, according to the Deputy Minister, are currently handled by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID).
The Siriliya Saviya project had previously come under public scrutiny during investigations into the murder of rugby player Wasim Thajudeen. In 2017, Shiranthi Rajapaksa was summoned by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) over the use of a Defender Jeep (registration WP KA-0642) that was donated by the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society to the Siriliya Saviya organisation. Despite being summoned, she failed to appear before the CID on July 27, 2017.
The Red Cross confirmed in a 2015 statement that the Defender was under the organisation’s use from August 2011 until January 20, 2015, linking the vehicle directly to Shiranthi Rajapaksa’s initiative.
Further suspicions were raised in 2015 when Shiranthi Rajapaksa was questioned by the FCID at the Speaker’s official residence. The inquiry involved allegations of misappropriation involving large sums of money deposited into the Siriliya Saviya account from various bank branches.
Deputy Minister Watagala declared in Parliament that the investigations had been neglected by the Attorney General’s office but confirmed the case would be reopened under the National People’s Power government.
“We will not let this be swept under the rug,” he said. “The investigation into this fraudulent account and those responsible will be reactivated.”
The political implications are mounting. Last week, rumors spread on social media about a possible arrest warrant for Shiranthi Rajapaksa. Unverified reports claimed that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had appealed to the Mahanayake Theros to intervene with the current President to prevent her arrest.
In response, a faction of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) members filed a complaint at the CID, alleging that the rumors were false and requested an investigation into the alleged misinformation campaign.
With Rs. 43 million sitting frozen, a forged identity number, missing account documents, and ties to a murder investigation, the Siriliya account scandal could once again thrust the Rajapaksa family into the national spotlight.
