The Police Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) has directed former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s wife, Shiranthi Rajapaksa, to appear before the Division on 24 September to provide a statement regarding the Siriliya Saviya account.

The FCID has resumed investigations into the account and issued a notice requiring her to appear on the specified date.

The notice was initially delivered to Rajapaksa’s residence, Carlton House in Tangalle. However, she was reportedly receiving treatment at a private hospital in Colombo at the time.

After completing her treatment on Tuesday (15), Rajapaksa travelled directly from the hospital to the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake to leave for Singapore.

According to reports, FCID officers served a notice on her at the Airport informing her that she was required to appear before the Division on 24 September. The notice was reportedly accepted on her behalf by a relative.

Rajapaksa subsequently departed for Singapore in the early hours of yesterday (16) as a regular passenger. She travelled aboard Singapore Airlines flight SQ-469, which departed at around 1.10 a.m., and was accompanied by a relative.

However, a member of the Rajapaksa family denied reports that she had knowingly left the country despite being summoned by the FCID.

The family member claimed that Rajapaksa had not received any prior summons requiring her to appear before the FCID and had travelled directly to the Airport from the private hospital where she had been receiving treatment.

According to the family member, the FCID letter was handed to Rajapaksa by an Airport official near the departure gate shortly before her scheduled flight at 12.50 a.m. yesterday.

The family member further claimed that the notification had been issued and delivered only after Rajapaksa had arrived at the Airport and was preparing to leave the country.

The family therefore rejected reports that she had knowingly departed Sri Lanka while subject to an earlier FCID summons, maintaining that she had not been notified by the Division before arriving at the Airport.

Rajapaksa is currently in Singapore for medical treatment.

The FCID’s investigations concern the Siriliya Saviya account, which has previously been the subject of investigations into its financial transactions and activities.