A Sri Lankan court has ordered the remanding in custody of a son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as authorities intensify their investigation into high-level corruption and bribery allegations linked to a multi-million-dollar Airbus aircraft deal.
Key Highlights
- Former Sri Lankan President’s son placed in judicial custody following financial crime inquiries.
- Probe focuses on alleged bribes and financial improprieties tied to SriLankan Airlines’ re-fleet deal with Airbus.
- The move signals renewed momentum in anti-corruption efforts targeting prominent political figures in Colombo.
The legal action marks a major escalation in the long-running probe into SriLankan Airlines’ 2013 purchase of aircraft from European aerospace manufacturer Airbus. Financial crime investigators have been probing suspicious financial transactions, intermediary payments, and off-shore accounts allegedly used to facilitate bribes during the re-fleet negotiation process.
The Airbus scandal previously triggered global regulatory settlements after the aircraft maker admitted to paying bribes across multiple countries to secure sales. In Sri Lanka, the deal has remained a central focus for anti-graft bodies seeking to hold former public officials and politically connected individuals accountable for substantial losses incurred by the national carrier.
Defense attorneys requested bail, maintaining that their client has fully cooperated with law enforcement and poses no flight risk. However, the magistrate sustained the prosecution’s motion for detention to prevent potential interference with ongoing international banking and forensic financial audits.