AG indicts Namal Rajapaksa on 24 charges over Airbus deal

Wednesday, 28 October 2026 00:23 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Namal Rajapaksa

Indictment filed before Colombo Permanent Trial-at-Bar, with 59 witnesses listed
Chief Magistrate orders MP kept in custody until produced before Trial-at-Bar today

The Attorney General has filed an indictment comprising 24 charges against Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa before the Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar, over alleged bribery in connection with the Airbus transaction, the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court was informed yesterday.

Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara told Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama that the indictment lists 59 witnesses.

The Chief Magistrate ordered that Rajapaksa be kept in custody until he is produced before the Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar today (28).

AG indicts

Delivering the order, the Magistrate said that since the indictment had already been filed before the Trial-at-Bar, the Magistrate’s Court could no longer issue any judicial order concerning the suspect in the case, including one granting bail or remanding him. The Magistrate added that no exceptional circumstances had been presented to justify releasing Rajapaksa on bail.