AG Orders Namal Rajapaksa Named Suspect in Airbus Bribery Case

The Attorney General's Department has directed the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to name Member of Parliament Namal Rajapaksa as a suspect in an ongoing bribery case. The investigation concerns the procurement of aircraft for SriLankan Airlines, where a bribe of USD 20 million was allegedly received from a European aircraft company in 2013. Reports indicate that preliminary investigations suggest the former SriLankan Airlines CEO, Kapila Chandrasena, who is a primary suspect, passed bribe money to Namal Rajapaksa. The CID is expected to file a motion before the Colombo Magistrate's Court to formally include Rajapaksa as a suspect.