The Siriliya Saviya investigation goes beyond Rs. 10 million, examining bank records, State funds, missing documents and other transactions.
The Siriliya Saviya investigation extends far beyond the widely reported Rs. 10 million CT scanner contribution, with investigators examining banking records, missing documentation, State funds and other transactions linked to the now-defunct foundation.
Former First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa left Sri Lanka for Singapore aboard Singapore Airlines flight SQ-469 in the early hours of Wednesday, September 16. Her departure came after treatment at a private hospital in Colombo and ahead of an FCID summons requiring her to appear on September 24.
Rajapaksa travelled directly from the hospital to Bandaranaike International Airport. Her family says she received the FCID notice only near the boarding gate, shortly before departure.
The revived inquiry concerns the Siriliya Saviya Foundation, which was established in 2006 during Mahinda Rajapaksa’s first presidential term. Shiranthi Rajapaksa headed the social welfare organisation, which undertook charitable activities involving women, children, healthcare and vulnerable communities.
Siriliya Saviya Investigation Focuses on Rs. 43 Million Account
A major element of the inquiry concerns a People’s Bank account at its Suduwella branch. The account, numbered 143/1/001/4/6235069, was reportedly opened in November 2006.
Details previously disclosed in Parliament said Rs. 82.99 million entered the account through 88 transactions. Meanwhile, Rs. 39.02 million was reportedly withdrawn through 129 transactions.
The reported remaining balance was approximately Rs. 43 million.
The account records Shiranthi Rajapaksa as chairperson, Kalyani Dissanayake as secretary and Nirosha Jeevani as treasurer.
Investigators are examining where the funds originated, how they were used and the circumstances under which the account was established and operated.
Another issue concerns the original mandate documentation used to open the account.
Deputy Minister of Justice and Attorney-at-Law Sunil Watagala has told Parliament that the relevant mandate form could not be located at the bank. He also raised questions about the documentation allegedly used when establishing the account.
The reported absence of that documentation raises further questions about the identification and authorisation records submitted at the time and who had authority to operate the account.
These matters remain allegations and issues under investigation. They do not, by themselves, establish criminal wrongdoing by Rajapaksa or other individuals connected to the foundation.
Shiranthi Rajapaksa Flees to Singapore Amid Ongoing FCID Investigations?
Former First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa has left Sri Lanka for Singapore as investigators continue probing alleged financial irregularities involving Siriliya Saviya.
The Morning Telegraph • September 15, 2026 • 2 min readQuestions Over Rs. 10 Million CT Scanner Funds
The most recently reported element of the Siriliya Saviya investigation concerns Rs. 10 million reportedly provided by the National Savings Bank for a campaign involving a CT scanner for the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children.
Investigators are examining whether the money was ultimately used for its stated purpose.
Recent reports say investigators have yet to establish that the scanner was purchased using the Rs. 10 million deposited into the Siriliya account. Reporting has also indicated that equipment eventually provided to the hospital came through China, although accounts differ on whether the equipment was a CT or PET scanner.
The FCID has questioned bank officials in connection with the transaction. Reports also say former NSB Chairman Pradeep Kariyawasam has provided a statement.
The inquiry reportedly extends to other fundraising activities and contributions associated with Siriliya Saviya, including money collected for medical equipment.
State Funds, Vehicles and Other Transactions
Investigators are also examining funds reportedly received from State institutions and the use of vehicles and other resources associated with the organisation.
Past investigations have examined an alleged Rs. 2 million transfer of State funds to Siriliya Saviya through the Dilan Perera Foundation when Dilan Perera served as Minister of Foreign Employment.
Investigators have also examined reported financial transfers from businessman Nissanka Senadhipathi, former Chairman of Avant Garde Maritime Services, into the foundation’s account.
Other matters previously placed under scrutiny include vehicles imported under tax concessions and the alleged use of foundation-related vehicles by Carlton Sports Network.
Investigators have also looked at funds associated with HIV/AIDS programmes and other activities.
These matters remain subject to investigation and verification by the relevant authorities. No finding of criminal liability should be inferred merely from their inclusion in an investigation.
Mystery Surrounding the 222222222V NIC Number
Another unusual issue concerns the National Identity Card number recorded against Shiranthi Rajapaksa’s name when the People’s Bank account was opened.
That number was recorded as 222222222V.
Watagala has publicly raised the issue while discussing the Siriliya account and the documentation surrounding its establishment.
Rajapaksa’s political allies have disputed suggestions that she personally provided false identification information.
They have argued that the number may have been entered by a bank employee as a dummy number because Rajapaksa presented her passport when opening the account.
Investigators must therefore establish who supplied the identification information, who entered it into the bank’s records and which documents the bank relied upon.
The issue also places attention on the banking controls that existed when the account was created.
Banking Controls Come Under Scrutiny
Taken together, the transactions raise questions that extend well beyond the Rs. 10 million scanner contribution.
Investigators must establish how an account associated with a prominent social welfare organisation received and disbursed tens of millions of rupees.
They must also determine whether appropriate banking and financial controls were followed and how the account operated despite the reported absence of its original mandate documentation.
The investigation will additionally examine whether State funds and other resources were properly received, recorded and used for their stated purposes.
The missing mandate and disputed NIC number add another dimension, particularly regarding the procedures followed when the account was established.
Ultimately, the FCID must determine how the account was opened, who authorised its operation, where the money originated, where it went and whether legally required procedures were followed.
Namal Rajapaksa Faces Separate Airbus Proceedings
The development comes amid separate legal proceedings involving Shiranthi Rajapaksa’s son, SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa.
On September 16, the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court ordered him to remain in remand custody until September 23 in a separate CID money-laundering investigation involving alleged financial irregularities connected to SriLankan Airlines’ Airbus aircraft procurement.
The court is also scheduled to deliver its decision on his bail application on September 23.
Those proceedings are separate from the Siriliya Saviya investigation, and the allegations against Namal Rajapaksa have not been judicially established.
Rajapaksa Family Rejects Evasion Claims
The Rajapaksa family has rejected suggestions that Shiranthi Rajapaksa knowingly left Sri Lanka to avoid the FCID inquiry.
A family member said she had received no previous notification requiring her to appear before investigators. The family maintains that officials handed her the notice only after she reached the airport for her scheduled departure.
The family said Rajapaksa had already planned the Singapore trip for medical treatment, including an eye-related procedure. It rejected suggestions that her departure represented an attempt to evade investigators.
According to the family, she is expected to return to Sri Lanka on September 19 and cooperate with the investigation.
The FCID notice requires her to appear on September 24. Police have confirmed that investigators want a statement from her regarding the Siriliya Saviya account.
That questioning could provide investigators with her account of the foundation’s finances, the People’s Bank account, the NSB contribution and other matters under examination.
The critical question is therefore not simply what happened to the Rs. 10 million.
The wider Siriliya Saviya investigation must establish the circumstances surrounding millions of rupees in transactions, the disputed banking documentation, the unusual identification details and other funds and resources associated with the foundation.
Whether investigators can resolve those questions will depend partly on the evidence they obtain, including Rajapaksa’s response when she appears for questioning.
