Namal remanded over alleged Rs. 100 m Airbus-linked bribe

Saturday, 5 September 2026 00:36 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Namal Rajapaksa remanded -Pix by Isuru Perera

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) National Organiser and MP Namal Rajapaksa was yesterday arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) over allegations that he received

Rs. 100 million in bribes linked to an aircraft procurement deal involving SriLankan Airlines.

Rajapaksa was subsequently produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court, which denied bail and ordered that he be remanded until 18 September.

In a statement CIABOC said Rajapaksa was arrested by its investigating officers at around 2:09 p.m. yesterday following more than five hours of questioning.

He had appeared before the Commission at 9:00 a.m. after being instructed to provide a statement as part of the ongoing investigation.

According to CIABOC, the investigation concerns funds allegedly paid as bribes in connection with the purchase of aircraft for SriLankan Airlines.

The Commission alleged that over

€ 1.4 million had been received as a bribe into an account maintained at Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore under the name BIZ Solutions Inc.

Of this amount, $ 800,000 was allegedly transferred to an OCBC Bank account in Singapore held under Sabre Vision Holdings Ltd., a company owned by a Sri Lankan businessman.

CIABOC alleged that, corresponding to these funds, Rajapaksa received a total of Rs. 100 million from a Sri Lankan businessman on several occasions during 2014 and 2015.

The Commission said the arrest followed an investigation based on a statement obtained from the Sri Lankan businessman, statements provided to CIABOC by officials of France-based Airbus, and documents and other information gathered during the probe.

The latest arrest marks the fourth time Rajapaksa has been taken into custody, following arrests in July 2016 over the Rs.70 million Krrish case, in August 2016 over the HelloCorp/Gowers Corporation money laundering case in which he was acquitted in 2023, and in October 2017 over the Hambantota protest case, while the Krrish and Hambantota cases remain pending.