SLPP National Organiser and Member of Parliament Namal Rajapaksa appeared before the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption in Colombo on Friday morning, complying with a summons he had unsuccessfully tried to defer.

He had been instructed in writing to attend at 9.00 a.m., Daily Mirror and Hiru News reported, both saying he arrived to provide a statement regarding the Airbus deal. Ada Derana and NewsFirst confirmed the appearance within minutes of each other.

The probe

The investigation concerns alleged bribes paid in SriLankan Airlines’ acquisition of a wide-body aircraft fleet — the 2013 procurement of six Airbus A330 and eight A350 aircraft, in which US$2 million is alleged to have changed hands. The allegations originate in the UK Serious Fraud Office’s 2020 findings against Airbus.

Rajapaksa’s attendance closes a scheduling dispute reported earlier this week. His attorney said the Commission had first set Friday, then rejected a request to push the date back to the 25th of this month or later, and instructed him in a written communication to keep the original date.

The Airbus thread has repeatedly reached his family. Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa appeared before the Commission in May. The case lost a central figure when former SriLankan Airlines chief executive Kapila Chandrasena was found dead in Colpetty in May, days before that appearance — a death Namal Rajapaksa publicly blamed on intimidation by investigators. He separately recorded a statement at the Financial Crimes Investigation Division on 21 August.

A second SLPP figure the same morning

About half an hour after Rajapaksa arrived, Ada Derana reported that former minister Johnston Fernando had also arrived at CIABOC to provide a statement. That report was a single sentence and did not say what matter Fernando was questioned about. Fernando has separate proceedings pending, including an Appeal Court matter over the CWE trial and an illegal assets inquiry.

Update: Fernando was arrested, on an unrelated case

Fernando was arrested at the Commission later that morning, and the matter has now been identified. NewsFirst reported that his case concerns the procurement of chairs for the Mahinda Rajapaksa Auditorium in Polgolla, with an alleged loss to the government of Rs. 7,973,114.

That resolves the question left open above, and separates the two appearances: Rajapaksa’s summons concerns the Airbus procurement, Fernando’s arrest concerns auditorium furniture. The two men attended the same Commission within half an hour of each other on unrelated matters, and no outlet has connected them.

Update: Rajapaksa was arrested and taken to court

Rajapaksa was arrested by the Commission on Friday afternoon after more than five hours of questioning, and taken to be produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court. Full report: Namal Rajapaksa arrested by Bribery Commission.

That answers two of the three questions left open below — he remained at the Commission for over five hours, and he is being treated as a suspect rather than a witness. What he told investigators is still unreported.

Rajapaksa had spoken publicly earlier the same morning, saying he was “ready to face independent investigations at any time” and alleging that evidence had been fabricated in cases involving him.

Not yet reported at the time of writing

No outlet has reported what Rajapaksa told the Commission, how long he remained, or whether he is treated as a suspect or a witness. CIABOC has issued no statement, Rajapaksa had not commented publicly at the time of writing, and it is not known whether he will be summoned again.

Sources