SriLankan Airlines-Airbus scandal

The SriLankan Airlines-Airbus scandal is a test of whether the judiciary is capable of enforcing the law against the politically powerful. Despite high-profile arrests and supposed progress in the investigations, there is yet to be a single conviction in this ghastly case of corruption, which contributed in no small way towards the economic collapse of the country.

In 2013, SriLankan Airlines agreed to purchase six A330-300 and four A350-900 aircraft and lease four additional A350s. International investigations later established that Airbus had offered approximately $ 16.84 million to influence the transaction. About $ 2 million was reportedly transferred to Biz Solutions Inc., a company associated with Priyanka Niyomali Wijenayake, wife of then SriLankan Airlines CEO Kapila Chandrasena.

Recent Court proceedings on to the arrest of MP Namal Rajapaksa have raised even graver accusations.  The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption alleges that $ 800,000 was transferred from the Biz Solutions account to an account held by Sabre Vision Holdings, linked to investor Nimal Perera. Prosecutors say Perera subsequently alleged in an affidavit that the rupee equivalent—approximately Rs. 100 million—was handed to Namal Rajapaksa. These remain allegations that must be tested fairly in Court, and every accused person is entitled to the presumption of innocence.

That presumption, however, must not become an excuse for paralysis. Due process requires a fair trial, not an endlessly delayed one. Prolonged proceedings create opportunities for witnesses to disappear, memories to fade, documents to be lost and political influence to be exerted. The death of Kapila Chandrasena under suspicious circumstances is a case in point for what can happen when such proceedings are delayed beyond reasonable time.

The financial consequences for the national airline and the greater Sri Lankan economy extend far beyond the alleged bribes. The aircraft transaction, cancellation costs, unsuitable fleet commitments and years of political mismanagement imposed an enormous burden on taxpayers. SriLankan Airlines has accumulated losses estimated at nearly $ 2 billion, illustrating the wider cost of allowing commercial decisions at State enterprises to become instruments of political patronage.

Sri Lanka’s 2022 economic collapse had many causes, including fiscal indiscipline, reckless borrowing, policy failures and weak governance. Grand corruption and the absence of accountability formed part of that destructive system. Citizens were asked to bear shortages, inflation, higher taxes and declining living standards, while those suspected of abusing public resources appeared largely beyond the law.

The Airbus case should therefore receive a dedicated, expeditious judicial process, consistent with constitutional safeguards. Prosecutors must present admissible evidence promptly, Courts should minimise unnecessary postponements, and international assistance must be used to trace funds and secure witnesses. Investigators must follow the money wherever it leads, without fear, favour or political selectivity.

Any accomplice who becomes a cooperating witness such as Nimal Perera must also be treated according to law. Cooperation may justify immunity in carefully defined circumstances or a reduced sentence, but it should not automatically erase participation in wrongdoing. The terms of any arrangement must be transparent and subject to judicial scrutiny.

This is not an invitation to conduct trials through the media or to presume the guilt of any Rajapaksa, official or businessman. It is a demand that credible allegations against powerful individuals be prosecuted with the same determination applied to ordinary citizens. Swift justice must be fair justice—but  justice delayed indefinitely is no justice at all.