Accountability for Airbus deal 

The long struggle against corruption took another small step forward last week with the arrest of former SriLankan Airlines CEO Kapila Chandrasena by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption. Chandrasena is accused of accepting a staggering $ 16 million bribe in connection with the purchase of aircraft from Airbus, a deal that has long symbolised the entrenched corruption that plagued the country during the previous decade. 

While the arrest is welcome, the public will be watching closely to see whether justice will truly be served, or whether this case will follow the familiar pattern of delay, dilution, and eventual disappearance.

The scandal itself is not new. In fact, the allegations first surfaced in 2020 following a major international investigation in the United Kingdom into bribery practices by Airbus. That probe revealed that in 2013, SriLankan Airlines agreed to purchase 10 aircraft worth approximately $ 2.3 billion. According to investigators, Chandrasena accepted a massive bribe as part of the transaction. The payment was allegedly routed through intermediaries and shell arrangements.

Yet few in Sri Lanka believe that Chandrasena acted alone. It has long been widely understood that he was merely the middleman in a much larger operation. At the time key decisions involving large state contracts were tightly controlled by members of the Rajapaksa family. As with many other controversial deals of that era, the financial trails appear to stop just short of those at the very top of the political hierarchy.

This raises the central question confronting investigators today as to whether the inquiry will stop with the convenient scapegoat, or will it pursue the full chain of responsibility? 

Compounding public frustration is the fact that another well-known wheeler-dealer, widely regarded as a collector of funds for the Rajapaksa political machine, has also been implicated in this case but has so far managed to avoid facing justice. This individual has been linked to numerous allegations of corruption over the years, including accusations of siphoning off funds intended for a hospital project in Hambantota. The failure to hold such figures accountable has long reinforced the perception that Sri Lanka’s political elite and their cohorts  operate above the law.

The consequences of these corrupt dealings have been devastating. SriLankan Airlines, once seen as a symbol of national pride, has been reduced to a financial burden on the State. Years of questionable procurement decisions, politically motivated management, and massive debt accumulation have left the national carrier struggling to survive. The Airbus deal itself saddled the airline with obligations it could ill afford, deepening its financial crisis.

More broadly, such corruption contributed significantly to the collapse of public finances that culminated in the economic catastrophe of 2022. The chain of reckless borrowing, opaque contracts, and systemic mismanagement helped push the country into its worst economic crisis since independence. Citizens who endured shortages, inflation, and economic hardship are entitled to demand accountability from those whose actions played a role in that disaster.

The arrest of Kapila Chandrasena therefore represents yet another test for the justice system. Investigations must proceed swiftly and transparently. Prosecutors must follow the evidence wherever it leads, regardless of political influence or status. Most importantly, those who orchestrated and benefited from these corrupt arrangements must face the same scrutiny as those who carried them out.