By Roy Denish.
The Namal Rajapaksa Airbus case deepens as Nimal Perera’s Australian affidavit details an alleged Rs.100 million payment trail.
The Namal Rajapaksa Airbus case has taken a major turn after investigators obtained a sworn affidavit in Australia from businessman Nimal Perera, a key witness in the alleged bribery trail linked to SriLankan Airlines’ aircraft procurement.
Rajapaksa, the son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and an opposition lawmaker, was arrested after more than five hours of questioning by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, or CIABOC. Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama subsequently remanded him until September 18. The allegations remain before court, and Rajapaksa has denied wrongdoing.
Perera, a businessman with longstanding links to the Rajapaksa circle who now lives in Australia, is central to both the Airbus investigation and the separate Krrish prosecution. Court reports say investigators from CIABOC and the Criminal Investigation Department travelled to Australia and recorded his statement. Perera also supplied an affidavit after declining to return to Sri Lanka, citing alleged threats to his life.
Alleged Attempt to Reach Nimal Perera in Australia
A separate report by Lanka-e-News alleges that Indika Karunajeewa, identified by the outlet as the principal lawyer at ISK Law in Melbourne and an associate of Rajapaksa, attempted to contact Perera in Narre Warren before he gave evidence. The report claims the purpose was to persuade Perera not to make a statement against Rajapaksa.
That allegation has not been established in court. Lanka-e-News reported that Perera did not answer calls or respond to messages. It also claimed that Australian authorities had agreed to provide witness-protection safeguards and that Perera could testify remotely from Australia.
What is confirmed through court reporting is that investigators travelled to Australia, obtained Perera’s statement and affidavit, and presented that material during the remand proceedings.
Namal Rajapaksa Airbus case focuses on US$800,000 trail
CIABOC told court that €1,454,651.24 in alleged bribe money reached a Standard Chartered Bank account in Singapore held in the name of BIZ Solutions Inc. Investigators further allege that US$800,000 was transferred from that account to an OCBC Bank account in Singapore held by Sabre Vision Holdings Ltd., a company linked to Perera.
According to the prosecution, Perera stated that he converted the equivalent funds into Sri Lankan rupees and handed about Rs.100 million in cash to Namal Rajapaksa in several instalments. CIABOC says its case also relies on statements from Airbus officials and documentary and electronic evidence gathered during the investigation.
Prosecutors told court that the wider inquiry received mutual legal assistance from Australia, Singapore, France and the United States. The Airbus investigation itself forms part of the fallout from the global bribery scandal that resulted in Airbus reaching a multibillion-euro settlement with authorities in Britain, France and the United States in 2020.
Krrish case adds second legal front
Rajapaksa also faces a separate Colombo High Court case over an alleged Rs.70 million transaction involving Krrish. The Attorney General alleges that money provided for rugby development was misappropriated. Perera has been identified as a key witness regarding the movement of those funds.
During the Airbus remand hearing, Rajapaksa’s lawyers attacked Perera’s credibility. They argued that his earlier explanations about offshore accounts had raised doubts and questioned why investigators now relied on him. The defence also stressed that Airbus officials had not said they paid money directly to Rajapaksa.
Prosecutors opposed bail under the Anti-Corruption Act and relied on the affidavit, international financial records and other evidence collected in the investigation. The court then remanded Rajapaksa until September 18.
The coming proceedings will test the strength of the prosecution’s cross-border evidence and Perera’s credibility under examination. They will also determine how much weight the courts give to the affidavit and international transaction records. Until then, the allegations remain unproven, and Rajapaksa retains the presumption of innocence.
