The Colombo Magistrate’s Court yesterday (2) ordered the issuance of open warrants for the arrest of a former Board member of SriLankan Airlines and the son of former Speaker of Parliament Chamal Rajapaksa, Shamindra Rajapaksa, as well as the wife of the former SriLankan Airlines Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Kapila Chandrasena, Priyanka Niyomali Wijenayake, in connection with the alleged Airbus aircraft deal. The order was issued by Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga Bodaragama after considering a request submitted by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).
Accordingly, the Chief Magistrate further directed that the warrants be circulated to all airports across Sri Lanka. The Controller General of Immigration and Emigration has also been informed of the order. Authorities have been instructed to arrest the suspects upon their arrival in the country and to notify the CIABOC without delay.
Meanwhile, the Court rejected the bail application filed on behalf of Chandrasena, who remains in remand custody over allegations of accepting bribes in connection with the procurement of Airbus aircraft. The bail request was refused by Chief Magistrate Bodaragama, who stated that no exceptional circumstances had been presented to justify granting bail to the suspect. Accordingly, Chandrasena was ordered to be further remanded until 17 April. This order was issued following consideration of submissions made by officials of the CIABOC and counsel appearing for the suspect.
Chandrasena was arrested by the CIABOC on 12 March for allegedly accepting a bribe amounting to United States Dollars ($) two million in relation to the Airbus aircraft deal. Chandrasena, who served as CEO of SriLankan Airlines at the time of a 2013 agreement to purchase 10 aircraft valued at $ 2.3 billion, is accused of conspiring to accept a total bribe of $ 16 million and of receiving Euros 1.45 million into a bank account in Singapore. Prosecutors further allege that Chandrasena established a shell company in Brunei under his wife’s name and arranged for the kickback to be channelled into its Singapore-based account.