Sri Lanka’s anti-corruption agency has arrested opposition lawmaker Namal Rajapaksa in connection with a probe into a 2013 SriLankan Airlines aircraft deal
The $2.3 billion agreement covered Airbus aircraft purchases and leases and was later cancelled by a government elected in 2015
The arrest revives scrutiny of allegations surrounding the Rajapaksa era, but does not establish Namal Rajapaksa’s guilt
Sri Lanka’s anti-corruption agency has arrested opposition lawmaker Namal Rajapaksa, son of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, in connection with an investigation into a controversial Airbus deal, AFP reported.
Namal, 40, was summoned for questioning by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) and arrested afterwards. He is expected to be produced before a magistrate. The specific charges were not immediately clear.
What Is The Airbus Probe?
The investigation concerns a $2.3 billion aircraft deal signed by SriLankan Airlines in 2013, when Mahinda Rajapaksa was president.
The agreement covered the purchase of six Airbus A330 and four A350 aircraft, along with the leasing of four more. The deal was later cancelled by a government elected in 2015.
The case resurfaced after authorities in the US, UK and France investigated allegations of corruption involving Airbus. The company was found to have agreed to pay millions of dollars in bribes in Sri Lanka linked to aircraft sales.
Sri Lankan authorities subsequently investigated possible corruption surrounding the airline deal. Then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa ordered a full investigation in 2020 after allegations of financial irregularities emerged.
Why Is Namal Rajapaksa Involved?
The investigation has since widened to allegations involving senior figures connected to the Rajapaksa administration.
Former SriLankan Airlines chief executive Kapila Chandrasena reportedly told investigators that he had handed nearly $500,000 in alleged kickbacks to Mahinda Rajapaksa. Chandrasena later withdrew that statement, saying it had been made under pressure.
The Rajapaksa family has denied receiving bribes and rejected corruption allegations against its members.
Namal’s arrest is part of an ongoing investigation and does not establish his guilt. Any charges against him will have to be determined through the judicial process.
Rajapaksa Family Under Scrutiny
The arrest puts one of Sri Lanka’s most prominent political families back at the centre of a corruption case involving the country’s national airline.
Mahinda Rajapaksa served as president from 2005 to 2015, while his brother Gotabaya was president from 2019 until his resignation in 2022 amid a severe economic and political crisis.
Namal, a former cabinet minister and current lawmaker, remains active in Sri Lankan politics.
The case also comes as SriLankan Airlines continues to face major financial difficulties. The carrier has accumulated losses of nearly $2 billion, according to AFP.
Namal’s arrest therefore brings together a long-running investigation into the airline’s aircraft purchase, allegations of corruption involving figures from the Rajapaksa era and the continuing financial problems of Sri Lanka’s national carrier.
