Shiranthi's eye examination tomorrow at the eye ward - No permission to take to Nawaloka

Marking a critical turning point for Sri Lanka's politically powerful elite, Shiranthi Rajapaksa, wife of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, has been arrested and remanded in custody over alleged financial misappropriation. Concurrently, a corruption case against former State Minister Shashindra Rajapaksa and others was also heard today at the Colombo High Court.

Shiranthi Rajapaksa was arrested this morning by officials from the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, on charges of obtaining one hundred lakhs of rupees (ten million rupees) from a state bank and committing offenses under the Public Property Act.

President's Counsel Anil Silva, appearing in court on behalf of Mrs. Shiranthi Wickremesinghe Rajapaksa, stated the following.

“Your Honour, my client is 73 years old. She suffers from several medical conditions. She has been receiving treatment for heart conditions since 2019. If a person with such a heart condition is imprisoned, she could die from stress. Because, Your Honour, she also has a risk of heart attacks.

Because several of her arteries are blocked with cholesterol. Also, a brain scan was done in 2021. She has a medical condition where she suddenly gets dizzy, faints, and falls. There's no telling when it will happen. She also has a spinal disability. She also has a varicose condition. Therefore, she cannot do her things alone. Such a person cannot be treated in prison. She is someone who has been receiving treatment for her medical condition and is recovering. Considering these circumstances as exceptional, I request that bail be granted to my client.”

Subsequently, she was produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court and ordered to be remanded until the 13th of next month. Several media outlets had reported that the Additional Magistrate of Colombo had ordered the prison to refer Mrs. Shiranthi Rajapaksa to Nawaloka Hospital to be presented before the doctor who previously treated her.

However, the prison states that no such order has been received by them. Her list of ailments did not include an eye disease, and when she returned from Singapore, she did not have plasters around her eyes. But at the time of her arrest, one eye was covered with a plaster, and only a few media outlets reported a story that she would be referred to the ophthalmology department of Nawaloka Hospital the next day.

Mrs. Shiranthi Rajapaksa, who is currently remanded in custody, was presented to the prison doctor today. Acting Commissioner General of Prisons, Prasad Hemantha, stated that samples required for preliminary medical examinations were also taken from her. During this, she mentioned an eye impairment, and therefore, for further examination, Accordingly, Shiranthi Rajapaksa is scheduled to be presented to a specialist doctor at the National Eye Hospital (Eye Ward) in Colombo tomorrow. 

Generally, detainees do not have the ability to receive treatment from private hospitals, and therefore, it is customary to refer them to a government hospital and proceed with legal proceedings based on medical reports accepted by the court. The Acting Commissioner General of Prisons also stated that Mrs. Shiranthi Rajapaksa is currently being held in the female detention section reserved for sick detainees.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa also visited Welikada Prison this morning to inquire about her well-being. Meanwhile, the court also ordered the release on bail of Pradeep Kariyawasam, the former chairman of the state bank, who was arrested in connection with the investigation into this incident.

In light of this situation, journalists questioned Sagala Kariyawasam, the General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), about the party's stance at a press conference held today. Responding to a journalist's question about whether they would declare Namal Rajapaksa or Shiranthi Rajapaksa as not belonging to the party if found guilty, he stated that Shiranthi Rajapaksa is not a party member, but she is a person they respect as the wife of the party leader. He further emphasized that it cannot be said that Namal Rajapaksa, the National Organizer, is not a party member, and that if the party has committed any wrongful act, they are ready to come forward and accept it before the people.