The National Organiser of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), Member of Parliament Namal Rajapaksa, who is currently in remand custody over an investigation into the controversial Airbus transaction, is scheduled to attend parliament tomorrow (8), following arrangements made to facilitate his participation in the parliamentary sittings.
Namal Rajapaksa today (7) wrote to Secretary General of Parliament Kushani Rohanadeera, requesting the necessary facilities to attend the upcoming sittings.
Following his request, the Secretary General wrote to the Commissioner General of Prisons, requesting that the necessary arrangements be made for Rajapaksa to be brought to parliament.
Accordingly, Namal Rajapaksa is scheduled to attend the parliamentary sittings tomorrow.
Parliament is scheduled to meet from September 8 to 11.
Namal Rajapaksa was arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) on September 4 after being questioned for several hours over an investigation related to the controversial Airbus transaction.
He was subsequently produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court, where Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama ordered that he be remanded until September 18.
The order was issued after the court considered submissions made by Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara, who appeared for CIABOC, as well as submissions by lawyers representing Namal Rajapaksa.
The investigation was launched on allegations surrounding the acquisition of aircraft for SriLankan Airlines in 2013. Previous allegations in the case involved former SriLankan Airlines Chief Executive Officer Kapila Chandrasena and his wife, Priyanka Niyomali Wijenayake, over the alleged acceptance of a USD 2 million bribe in connection with the proposed acquisition of six Airbus A330 and eight A350 aircraft.
CIABOC launched an investigation into the allegations under the Anti-Corruption Act. Chandrasena was arrested on March 12 and remanded before subsequently being released on bail.
While on bail, Chandrasena was found dead on May 8 under circumstances that police suspect may have been a suicide.
Meanwhile, open warrants have been issued for the arrest of Priyanka Niyomali Wijenayake, identified as the second suspect, and Shamindra Rajapaksa, named as the third suspect in the ongoing case before the Fort Magistrate’s Court concerning the Airbus transaction.
As part of the investigation, a delegation from Airbus’s parent company in France visited Sri Lanka during the first week of August and provided statements to CIABOC.