{"id":156712,"date":"2026-09-05T11:10:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-05T05:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/?p=156712"},"modified":"2026-09-05T03:51:52","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T22:21:52","slug":"former-sri-lankan-presidents-son-arrested-in-airbus-a330-a350-bribery-probe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/05\/former-sri-lankan-presidents-son-arrested-in-airbus-a330-a350-bribery-probe\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Sri Lankan President\u2019s Son Arrested in Airbus A330, A350 Bribery Probe"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

COLOMBO\u2014<\/strong> Sri Lankan<\/a> opposition lawmaker Namal Rajapaksa, the son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, has been arrested in connection with a long-running investigation into a controversial aircraft procurement deal involving SriLankan Airlines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 40-year-old parliamentarian was questioned for more than five hours by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) before being taken into custody on September 4. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Former
Photo: SriLankan Airlines<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

SriLankan’s Troublesome Airbus Deal <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The investigation centres on aircraft agreements signed in 2013 between SriLankan Airlines (UL)<\/a> and Airbus for a major fleet expansion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The carrier agreed to purchase six Airbus A330 aircraft and four Airbus A350 aircraft, while also arranging leases for four additional A350s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The orders were placed during Mahinda Rajapaksa\u2019s presidency, which lasted from 2005 to 2015. The A330 aircraft were delivered, but the four A350<\/a> orders were subsequently cancelled after a new government came to power in 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The aircraft procurement later became part of a much wider international corruption investigation. In 2020, Airbus reached agreements with authorities in the United States, United Kingdom and France after investigations into allegations that third-party intermediaries had been used to facilitate improper payments in several countries, including Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Airbus agreed to pay more than \u20ac3.5 billion in penalties under the coordinated settlements. The UK Serious Fraud Office specifically included alleged bribery connected with business involving Sri Lanka in its investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Former
Photo: Picasa | Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Namal Investigation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sri Lankan authorities subsequently reopened scrutiny of the aircraft transaction and began examining whether individuals connected with the former administration benefited from alleged payments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Namal Rajapaksa was summoned to CIABOC to provide a statement about the Airbus transaction. After completing the questioning, investigators arrested him and later produced him before court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Local reports have linked the case to an allegation that Rajapaksa accepted Rs. 100 million in connection with the aircraft procurement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The precise legal charges and evidence against him remain part of the judicial process, and the arrest itself does not establish guilt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rajapaksa has denied wrongdoing. The wider Rajapaksa family has also rejected allegations of corruption connected with the Airbus transaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"SriLankan
Photo: SriLankan Airlines<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Impact on SriLankan Airlines<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The investigation comes as SriLankan Airlines continues to deal with the financial consequences of years of losses and restructuring challenges. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The carrier has accumulated losses approaching $2 billion, adding significance to renewed scrutiny of major decisions taken during the period when the disputed aircraft orders were approved, Outlook India<\/a> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Airbus case also illustrates how decisions surrounding fleet procurement can have consequences well beyond aircraft deliveries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2013 agreements involved a significant expansion of SriLankan Airlines’ wide-body fleet, but the subsequent cancellation of part of the order and the international bribery investigation turned the transaction into one of the most closely examined aviation deals in Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The latest arrest therefore represents a significant development in an investigation that has remained active for years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Namal Rajapaksa was remanded until September 18, meaning the case will continue through Sri Lanka\u2019s judicial process as authorities pursue the allegations surrounding the aircraft procurement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stay tuned with us. Further, follow us on social media for the latest updates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SriLankan Police Arrest Man for Flight Hijack Threat<\/a><\/blockquote>