Colombo, Namal Rajapaksa, the elder son of Sri Lanka’s former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, was arrested by the island nation’s anti-graft commission over alleged corruption linked to the purchase of Airbus aircraft for SriLankan Airlines.
He was arrested after more than five hours of questioning by the anti-graft commission before being presented before Magistrate Asanga S Boderagama. Rajapaksa, 40, was asked to appear before the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption on Friday. The Colombo magistrate remanded him till September 18, officials said. Namal Rajapaksa had announced plans of organising the first of a major anti-government public rally on September 12 in the north central town of Anuradhapura.
This was the first remand of a Rajapaksa from the former first family since the current National People’s Power government came into power two years ago. The SLPP claimed his remand was the government’s plan to scuttle the rally and his opposition campaign against the government. He was charged with misusing public funds to install seating at a conference hall named after Mahinda Rajapaksa in the central district of Kandy.
Friday’s arrest and remand came after the arrest by the CIABOC of Johnston Fernando, a former Cabinet member of the Rajapaksa governments between 2005 and 2023. Earlier reporting noted: Sri Lanka Arrests Ex-President’s Son For Taking $800,000 Bribe In Airbus Deal Sri Lanka Arrests Ex-President’s Son For Taking $800,000 Bribe In Airbus Deal Sri Lanka Arrests Ex-President’s Son For Taking $800,000 Bribe In Airbus Deal Earlier reporting noted: Sri Lankan anti-graft authorities on Friday arrested lawmaker Namal Rajapaksa, the son of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, accusing him of receiving $800,000 linked to a 2013 Airbus deal. Earlier reporting noted: CIABOC had questioned the former president himself in May over allegations that he, too, had received kickbacks from the aircraft purchase, which was cancelled by a new government in 2016.
