Kapila Chandrasena death investigation widens as court hears iPhone evidence may be sent to FBI and Apple in the Airbus scandal probe.
Kapila Chandrasena death investigations have taken a dramatic international turn as the suspicious death of the former SriLankan Airlines CEO now moves toward possible FBI and Apple involvement.
Chandrasena, a key suspect in the multi-billion rupee Airbus corruption scandal that shook Sri Lanka’s political and business establishment, died while out on bail. His death has now become one of the most sensitive mysteries before the country’s criminal investigation authorities.
The magisterial inquiry into the suspicious death has entered a critical phase, with fresh details emerging before Colombo Fort Magistrate Prasan Amarasekara recently on May 26.
The following is an investigative analysis of the facts revealed during the magisterial inquiry and the wider chain of events surrounding the case so far.
The Locked iPhone And FBI Route
The case has attracted international attention following a special request made to court by the Colombo Crime Division.
Investigators told court that efforts by local security forces and technical experts to access the Apple iPhone found in Kapila Chandrasena’s possession at the time of his death had failed.
Police officially informed court that local technology was not sufficient to unlock the device.
Accordingly, in order to recover data, call records, and possible secret conversations through social media platforms including WhatsApp, police have requested permission from the Fort Magistrate to send the device through international channels.
The request seeks to refer the matter to the International Criminal Police Organization, Interpol, and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, the FBI, so that the phone can be forwarded to Apple Inc. in the United States.
Investigators suspect the phone may contain crucial evidence connected to the unresolved questions surrounding the Airbus transaction, as well as any possible influence, threat, or pressure that may have been linked to Chandrasena’s death.
Forensic Evidence Before Government Analyst
Police have also informed court that blood samples, body parts, and other case exhibits connected to the deceased have already been referred to the Government Analyst.
The purpose of the scientific examination is to determine whether the death was natural, the result of a planned killing, or caused by poisoning.
That Government Analyst’s report is expected to become a decisive turning point in the inquiry.
Court Questions Police Over Lawyer Summons
During the fifth day of the inquest into Chandrasena’s death, the court’s attention turned toward two prominent lawyers: President’s Counsel Rienzie Arsekularatne and Attorney Udara.
Police informed court that the two lawyers had not appeared on that day because summons had not been properly served on them.
Fort Magistrate Prasan Amarasekara then strongly reminded the police that the same legal process followed for ordinary witnesses must also be followed in relation to these individuals.
“The same legal procedure that the police follows regarding ordinary witnesses must be followed regarding these individuals as well. If not, the reasons must be immediately communicated to the court,” the Magistrate emphasized.
Accordingly, the two lawyers are expected to be summoned before court on a future date.
Fifth-Day Testimony And Bail Mystery
A 34-year-old man named Indika Manoj, an employee of Softlogic, gave evidence before court and revealed several important details about Chandrasena’s conduct during his final days.
He said he had known Kapila Chandrasena for around nine to ten years and was aware that Chandrasena had been remanded over the Airbus fraud case.
According to his testimony, Chandrasena had called him by phone and asked whether he could stand as surety and post bail for him in court.
Indika Manoj said he had even prepared a Grama Sevaka certificate for that purpose. However, he later learned through the Esana news service that Chandrasena had already been granted bail.
He also described how he later went to the Aluthkade Court through Attorney Udara and signed as a surety.
The Airbus Scandal Behind The Mystery
To understand the significance of Chandrasena’s death, it is necessary to understand the Airbus transaction in which he was allegedly involved.
The UK’s Serious Fraud Office first revealed that during the 2013 purchase of 14 Airbus aircraft for SriLankan Airlines, a bribe or commission of US$ 14.8 million had allegedly been demanded from Airbus, the French aircraft manufacturer.
To receive that alleged bribe, Kapila Chandrasena had reportedly opened a fake consulting company named Bizoki in Singapore under the name of his wife, Priyanka Nyamali Wijenaike.
Singaporean authorities later suspended the account when US$ 2 million was credited to it.
Kapila Chandrasena and his wife were arrested and remanded under the massive money laundering allegations linked to the case. They were later released on bail.
The Unanswered Question
Against a backdrop where political influence and international financial fraud appear deeply intertwined, the suspicious death of a key witness or suspect is not unfamiliar in global investigative history.
Kapila Chandrasena was seen as a “custodian of secrets” who knew the hidden details of what has been described as one of Sri Lanka’s largest state-level aviation frauds.
Whether his death was natural, or whether it was a silencing linked to the masterminds behind a multi-billion rupee fraud, may ultimately depend on two crucial pieces of evidence.
One is the data that the FBI and Apple may be able to extract from his iPhone. The other is the scientific finding expected from the Government Analyst’s report.
