Court orders arrest of former SriLankan CEO Kapila Chandrasena

The Colombo Magistrate’s Court has issued an order to arrest and produce before the court the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SriLankan Airlines, Kapila Chandrasena, who had been released on bail by the court two days ago.

The order was issued today by Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodharagama after considering a request made by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), on the grounds that the defendant had violated bail conditions.

Chandrasena, who was arrested on March 12 in connection with an incident involving the alleged acceptance of bribes during the purchase of Airbus aircraft for the airline, was granted bail by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday (May 5).

Accordingly, he has been arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe of USD 2 million related to the Airbus aircraft deal.

Chandrasena, who was CEO of SriLankan Airlines during a 2013 deal to purchase 10 aircraft worth US$2.3 billion, is accused of conspiring to accept a bribe of US$16 million and receiving €1.45 million into a bank account in Singapore.

Prosecutors say Chandrasena created a shell company in Brunei in his wife’s name and arranged for the kickback to be paid into its Singapore account.

Chandrasena was previously arrested and released on bail in February 2020 in a similar but separate case.