Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and former Minister Piyankara Jayaratne have been summoned by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) on May 12, 2026, to record statements in connection with the ongoing probe into the controversial Airbus procurement deal.
The summons is part of an investigation into allegations surrounding the 2013 purchase of six Airbus A330 aircraft and eight A350 aircraft for SriLankan Airlines, during which US$2 million is alleged to have been received as bribes.
The allegations have been levelled against former SriLankan Airlines Chief Executive Officer Kapila Chandrasena and his wife, Nayomi Wijenayake.
Chandrasena was arrested by the CIABOC on March 12 and remanded until May 5 under provisions of the Bribery Act and the Anti-Corruption Act, as investigations continue.
In a submission to the Colombo Magistrate’s Court on March 19, 2026, CIABOC stated that it had uncovered material indicating that funds allegedly obtained as bribes from the Airbus transaction were passed on by Chandrasena to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and former Aviation Minister Piyankara Jayaratne.
According to the CIABOC, Chandrasena has stated that following a request made by Rajapaksa in 2015, a total of Rs. 60 million was handed over in three instalments of Rs. 20 million each at the former
President’s residences in Beliatta and Carlton,Chandrasena maintains that any references to the aforementioned individuals were made in an affidavit under intimidation and do not represent his voluntary account, according to his lawyers. He has also alleged that he was not granted access to legal counsel while the statement was being recorded