Airbus Bribery Arrest
Sri Lankan lawmaker Namal Rajapaksa arrested amid ongoing Airbus bribery investigation.
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Key Points
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Investigators questioned Rajapaksa for about five hours over allegations that his family received a 60 million Sri Lankan rupee bribe in connection with the aircraft transaction.
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The United Kingdom’s Serious Fraud Office reportedly found that Airbus paid millions of dollars in bribes to senior Sri Lankan politicians and businesspeople during the deal.
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Sri Lanka’s government, which took office in 2015, cancelled the A350 agreement; the cancellation reportedly resulted in compensation payments amounting to billions of rupees by the airline and government.
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The commission rejected Rajapaksa’s request to appear on September 3 instead of September 4 and warned that legal action would follow if he failed to attend on the scheduled date.
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Former SriLankan Airlines chief executive Kapila Chandrasena and his wife had previously been arrested and brought before court in connection with the alleged bribery and money-laundering case.
Namal Rajapaksa, a Sri Lankan lawmaker and son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, was arrested by the country's anti-corruption agency over a $2.3 billion Airbus deal Tamil Guardian. The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna national organizer appeared before the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption after being questioned for about five hours about alleged bribes his family received in connection with SriLankan Airlines' 2013 aircraft purchase agreement Gujarat Samachar.
Rajapaksa was remanded in custody until September 18, Perth Now reports. The arrest follows a broader investigation into the controversial Airbus transaction, which included the arrest of former SriLankan Airlines chief executive Kapila Chandrasena and his wife on money-laundering and bribery charges.
A Decade-Old Deal Under Scrutiny
The investigation centers on SriLankan Airlines' 2013 agreement to purchase Airbus A350 wide-body aircraft. The Courier reports that when Sri Lanka's government took office in 2015, it cancelled the A350 agreement. The cancellation reportedly triggered compensation payments amounting to billions of rupees from both the airline and the government Tamil Guardian.
Bribery Allegations Target Political Figures
Investigators allege that Rajapaksa's family received a 60 million Sri Lankan rupee bribe linked to the aircraft transaction. The United Kingdom's Serious Fraud Office reportedly found that Airbus paid millions of dollars in bribes to senior Sri Lankan politicians and business figures during the deal Gujarat Samachar.
Anti-Corruption Commission Rejects Delay Request
Rajapaksa initially requested to appear before the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption on September 3 instead of September 4. The commission rejected his request and warned that legal action would follow if he failed to attend on the scheduled date Tamil Guardian. He appeared as ordered and was taken into custody after questioning.
Expanding Investigation Into Airline Officials
The arrest is part of a widening probe into the Airbus deal. Former SriLankan Airlines chief executive Kapila Chandrasena and his wife had already been arrested and brought before court in connection with the alleged bribery and money-laundering case Perth Now. Rajapaksa faces further court proceedings as the investigation continues.
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