Namal Rajapaksa produced in court over alleged Rs. 100 Million Airbus bribe

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Namal Rajapaksa was produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court today (September 18) in the bribery case over an alleged Rs. 100 million payment linked to the SriLankan Airlines Airbus transaction.

Rajapaksa, who is also the National Organiser of the SLPP, was brought before court as his remand period in the case filed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) ended today.

He was arrested by CIABOC on September 4, 2026 after being questioned for nearly five hours over allegations that he received Rs. 100 million in cash as a bribe in connection with the acquisition of wide-body Airbus aircraft for SriLankan Airlines. Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama subsequently ordered him to be remanded until September 18, 2026.

According to allegations presented by CIABOC, EUR 1,454,651.24 connected to the Airbus transaction had been received in an account held under the name BIZ Solutions Inc. at Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore.

Investigators allege that USD 800,000 from those funds was later transferred to an OCBC Bank account in Singapore held by a company linked to a Sri Lankan businessman.

CIABOC alleges that Rajapaksa subsequently received Rs. 100 million in cash from the businessman on several occasions during 2014 and 2015, in return for an amount equivalent to the USD 800,000.

The Commission has said its investigation is based on evidence including a statement from the businessman concerned, information and statements obtained from Airbus officials in France, and documents and electronic evidence gathered during the investigation.

When Rajapaksa was produced before court following his arrest on September 4, 2026 the remand order was issued after the court considered submissions by Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara, appearing for CIABOC, and lawyers representing Rajapaksa.

The bribery proceedings before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court are separate from a money-laundering case filed by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in connection with the same broader Airbus transaction.

In that separate CID case, Rajapaksa was ordered by the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court on September 16, 2026 to remain in remand custody until September 23, 2026 when the court is also due to deliver its decision on his bail application.