What was the 2013 Airbus deal?

The investigation centres on a 2013 agreement involving the purchase of 10 Airbus aircraft for SriLankan Airlines, with the overall transaction valued at around $2.3 billion.

The agreement required cabinet approval during Mahinda Rajapaksa’s presidency. It was eventually cancelled by a new government in 2016 after the political change in Sri Lanka.

Why was Namal Rajapaksa arrested?

CIABOC summoned Namal Rajapaksa to provide information about the Airbus transaction. Following several hours of questioning, investigators arrested him.

His lawyer, Nishantha Dayananda, confirmed the arrest. At the time of the arrest, authorities had not publicly clarified the precise charges against him.

Allegation of an $800,000 payment

A significant development in the investigation concerns an alleged payment of approximately $800,000 to Namal Rajapaksa.

According to reports of court proceedings, CIABOC told the court that the money formed part of alleged kickbacks connected to the Airbus transaction. Investigators alleged that a Sri Lankan businessman arranged the transfer through two Singapore bank accounts.

These remain allegations under investigation and do not by themselves establish Namal Rajapaksa’s guilt.

Probe also reaches Mahinda Rajapaksa

The investigation has also involved Namal’s father, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

CIABOC questioned Mahinda Rajapaksa in May over allegations that he received kickbacks connected to the aircraft purchase.

Former SriLankan Airlines chief executive Kapila Chandrasena initially told investigators that he had delivered 60 million Sri Lankan rupees to Mahinda Rajapaksa in three instalments in 2013. The amount was worth about $461,000 at the time.

Chandrasena later withdrew that statement, saying it had been made under pressure. The Rajapaksa family has denied receiving bribes and has described the allegations as politically motivated.

International investigation into Airbus

The Sri Lankan investigation follows a wider international bribery probe involving Airbus.

Investigators from the United States, Britain and France previously found that Airbus had agreed to pay around $16 million in bribes in Sri Lanka to help secure aircraft sales.

About $1.7 million was reportedly routed to Chandrasena before the scandal came to light. The payments were connected to the purchase of 10 Airbus aircraft.

SriLankan Airlines faces financial troubles

SriLankan Airlines has struggled financially for years.

The national carrier has accumulated losses estimated at nearly $2 billion, while several attempts to privatise the debt-laden airline have failed.

The Airbus controversy has therefore become part of a much broader debate over the airline’s management, political influence and financial sustainability.

Pressure mounts on the Rajapaksa family

Namal Rajapaksa’s arrest adds another major development to the long-running investigations involving members of the Rajapaksa family.

The family has faced several corruption-related investigations in recent years and has repeatedly rejected allegations of wrongdoing.

The current Airbus case, however, remains subject to investigation and judicial proceedings. Allegations made by investigators should not be treated as proof of guilt unless established through the legal process.

Conclusion

The arrest of Namal Rajapaksa marks a significant development in Sri Lanka’s investigation into the controversial $2.3 billion Airbus deal.

With allegations involving senior officials, an international bribery investigation and scrutiny of the former president himself, the case could have wider political implications for the Rajapaksa family and Sri Lanka’s efforts to pursue high-level corruption cases.