The Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court has been informed that a medical MRI scanner provided as a donation by the Chinese Government was handed over to the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children as an apparent donation by the Siriliya Saviya organisation. During proceedings before Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama, Additional Solicitor General Deelipa Peeris revealed that the handover event had been deliberately staged to coincide with the birthday of a child of second suspect Shiranthi Rajapaksa.
The revelations emerged during the hearing of a high-profile case involving Shiranthi Rajapaksa and former National Savings Bank Chairman Pradeep Kariyawasam. Both suspects are accused of misappropriating public funds by securing Rs. 10 million from the National Savings Bank under the pretext of purchasing a CT scanner for the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children through the Siriliya Saviya organisation. Representing the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, the Additional Solicitor General told the court that the Siriliya Saviya organisation had been utilized to launder black money.
Addressing the court on the investigative framework, the Additional Solicitor General noted that the Financial Crimes Investigation Division and the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption have, for the first time, entered into an official agreement to jointly conduct the probe with mutual consent. Charges have been formally filed against the suspects under the Public Property Act and Section 70 of the Anti-Corruption Act.
The court heard detailed evidence regarding the financial timeline, including a letter dated December 28, 2010, in which Shiranthi Rajapaksa, using letterhead bearing the official designation ‘First Lady, Shiranthi Rajapaksa’, requested the National Savings Bank to disburse Rs. 140 million for an initiative titled Carlton Suwa Udana. The requested sum was subsequently revised verbally to Rs. 50 million. Additional requests and credit transfers were also directed to entities including the National Lotteries Board, Sri Lanka Insurance, and Seylan Bank. Following prior discussions led by Pradeep Kariyawasam on December 8, 2010, an agreement was reached to provide Rs. 10 million, which was approved on December 30, 2010.
Further evidence presented by the prosecution demonstrated that on May 4, 2011, instructions were issued to credit the funds into an account maintained by Siriliya Saviya at the Maradana branch of the Bank of Ceylon rather than the Carlton Suwa Udana account. Despite the complete absence of approval from the bank’s board of directors, Kariyawasam proceeded with the transaction on the grounds that the directive originated from the First Lady.
Key Developments
- Misrepresented Foreign Aid: An MRI scanner donated by the Chinese Government in 2014 following Sri Lankan loan negotiations—where the government requested the scanner cost be deducted from a loan—was presented as a philanthropic donation from the Siriliya Saviya organisation during a ceremony held on Shiranthi Rajapaksa’s child’s birthday.
- Medical Witness Confirmation: Statements from Doctors Ranmanthri and Ratnasiri of the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children confirmed to investigators that the MRI equipment originated directly from the Chinese Government.
- Medical Report on Suspect: The Deputy Director of Health Services at the Colombo National Hospital submitted a three-page medical report confirming there is currently no medical recommendation for Shiranthi Rajapaksa to undergo open-heart surgery, recommending only an angiogram while an appointed medical board reviews her treatment requirements.
- Joint Anti-Corruption Prosecution: The Financial Crimes Investigation Division and the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption are executing their first joint prosecution under the Public Property Act and Section 70 of the Anti-Corruption Act.
- Diverted Bank Funds: Rs. 10 million granted by the National Savings Bank was diverted to a Siriliya Saviya account at the Bank of Ceylon Maradana branch without board approval, alongside solicitations involving the National Lotteries Board, Sri Lanka Insurance, and Seylan Bank.
The court continues to review the joint prosecution’s submissions and witness statements, with proceedings moving forward under the oversight of Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama.