Airbus deal : Court informed that Mahinda Rajapaksa was paid Rs. 60 Mn.

2026-03-19 - 10:13

Former SriLankan Airlines Chief Executive Officer – Kapila Chandrasena has claimed that a sum of Rs. 60 million was paid to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as bribes from funds received through the Airbus deal. The disclosure was made by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court today (March 19) during court proceedings with regard to the Airbus deal investigation. According to the CIABOC, Chandrasena has noted in his statement that a total of Rs. 60 million was handed over in three instalments of Rs. 20 million each at the former President’s Beliatta residence and Carlton residence. Meanwhile, another sum of Rs. 20 million had been given to former Civil Aviation Minister Priyankara Jayaratne, it was further revealed. Kapila Chandrasena, who was arrested over the controversial Airbus deal, was further remanded until April 02 by the Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama. Chandrasena, who was CEO of SriLankan Airlines during a 2013 deal to purchase 10 aircraft worth US$2.3 billion, is accused of conspiring to accept a bribe of US$16 million and receiving €1.45 million into a bank account in Singapore. Prosecutors allege that Chandrasena created a shell company in Brunei in his wife’s name and arranged for the money to be paid into its Singapore account.