• Police launches investigation into ‘suspicious’ death at Kollupitiya residence
• Arrest warrant issued after CIABOC alleges bail condition violations 

Former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SriLankan Airlines Kapila Chandrasena was found dead at a residence in Kollupitiya on Friday (8), hours after the Colombo Magistrate’s Court ordered his arrest over an alleged violation of bail conditions in a high-profile bribery case. 

The Police informed the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court regarding the death, stating that further investigations into the “suspicious death” were underway. The Magistrate also visited the scene for inspection. 

The body was reportedly discovered early on Friday morning at the Kollupitiya residence of Chandrasena’s brother-in-law, a former Sri Lankan cricketer. 

The post-mortem was scheduled for Saturday (9).

Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Police Spokesman ASP F.U. Wootler said that the Kollupitiya Police, together with Police kennel units, had been deployed for investigations into the death. 

“We are just trying to ascertain whether it is a suicide or something else, or if it is suspicious. Neither you nor I can declare anything at the moment as this has to go through expert observations,” Wootler said. 

He added that he expected a comprehensive report from the Officer-in-Charge of the Kollupitiya Police Station by Friday night. 

A source familiar with the legal proceedings told The Sunday Morning that a motion had been prepared for Chandrasena to surrender to court after the arrest warrant was issued. According to the source, a lawyer who went to collect Chandrasena to produce him before court had discovered the body inside a room at the residence. 

Chandrasena, who served as the CEO of SriLankan Airlines during a 2013 aircraft procurement deal involving the purchase of 10 Airbus aircraft worth $ 2.3 billion, was arrested on 12 March over allegations that he had conspired to accept a bribe of $ 16 million and received € 1.45 million into a Singapore bank account.

According to prosecutors, Chandrasena had allegedly created a shell company in Brunei under his wife’s name and arranged for the kickback payment to be deposited into its Singapore account. 

On Thursday (7), the Colombo Magistrate’s Court ordered Chandrasena’s arrest and production before court. He had been released on bail two days earlier. 

The Magistrate had initially ordered Chandrasena’s release on a cash bail of Rs. 500,000 and three sureties of Rs. 1 million each. 

However, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) informed the court through a motion that Chandrasena had allegedly paid two individuals Rs. 15,000 each to appear as bail signatories and furnish sureties of Rs. 1 million each. 

The commission alleged that this amounted to a violation of bail conditions and a breach of the trust placed in the suspect by the Judiciary. 

Citing Sections 14(1) and 14(3) of the Bail Act No.30 of 1997, the CIABOC requested the court to suspend the bail order and further sought that Chandrasena be remanded until the conclusion of the case under Section 149(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act. 

Accordingly, Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama issued the arrest warrant on the grounds that the defendant had allegedly violated bail conditions and directed officers attached to the Bribery Commission to immediately execute the warrant.