Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and former Minister Piyankara Jayaratne have been notified to appear before the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) on 12 May to record statements.
The summons has been issued in connection with ongoing investigations into the controversial 2013 Airbus procurement deal.
The probe relates to the purchase of six Airbus A330 aircraft and eight A350 aircraft for SriLankan Airlines in 2013. At the time, former Chief Executive Officer Kapila Chandrasena and his wife Niyomalie Wijenayake were accused of accepting a bribe of USD 2 million.
In connection with the investigation conducted under the Bribery Act and the Anti-Corruption Act, Chandrasena was arrested by CIABOC on 12 March and subsequently remanded until 5 May.
CIABOC has informed the Colombo Magistrate’s Court that investigations have revealed that funds allegedly received as bribes from the Airbus deal had been distributed to Rajapaksa and Jayaratne.
According to submissions made to court, the suspect had stated that, following a request made by Rajapaksa in 2015, a total of Rs. 60 million was handed over to him in three instalments of Rs. 20 million each at his residences in Beliatta and Carlton.
