May 07, Colombo (LNW): Former SriLankan Airlines Chief Executive Officer Kapila Chandrasena has been ordered to be arrested and produced before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court following a request by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) to cancel the bail previously granted to him.
The order was issued after the Bribery Commission submitted a motion before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court seeking the revocation of Chandrasena’s bail in connection with the ongoing Airbus procurement corruption case.
The latest development has intensified scrutiny surrounding the high-profile investigation, particularly after two men were recently remanded over allegations that they falsely appeared in court as sureties on behalf of the former airline executive.
According to submissions made before court, the two individuals had allegedly accepted payments of Rs. 15,000 each in return for acting as bail guarantors. Investigators later discovered that the pair reportedly had neither stable employment nor sufficient financial standing to fulfil the responsibilities expected of sureties.
Court proceedings also revealed that the suspects had no personal relationship with Chandrasena and were allegedly recruited solely for the purpose of securing his release on bail.
Colombo Additional Magistrate Lahiru Silva ordered the suspects to remain in remand custody until 13 May while further investigations are carried out. The court additionally instructed authorities to examine the manner in which Grama Niladhari certificates used during the bail application process had been obtained.
The arrests were carried out by officers attached to the Keselwatta Police following concerns raised by court officials regarding irregularities linked to the bail procedure.
The Airbus deal controversy involving SriLankan Airlines continues to be regarded as one of Sri Lanka’s most closely watched corruption probes, attracting significant public and legal attention due to the scale of the allegations and the senior figures implicated in the case.