COLOMBO — The Attorney General has filed an indictment naming 59 witnesses as the Airbus bribery and money-laundering proceedings move to a three-judge High Court bench.
The Attorney General has filed 24 charges against Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa and three other defendants before the Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar over allegations of bribery and money laundering linked to SriLankan Airlines’ Airbus aircraft procurement.
Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara informed Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama on Tuesday, October 27, that the indictment had been filed following the completion of investigations conducted by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
The indictment lists 59 witnesses and will be considered by a three-judge High Court bench appointed under the applicable provisions of the Judicature Act to hear serious financial and economic crime cases.
Rajapaksa faces allegations concerning the receipt of Rs. 100 million allegedly derived from payments associated with the 2013 Airbus aircraft procurement transaction.
He has denied receiving the money.
The Colombo Chief Magistrate directed that Rajapaksa remain in custody pending his production before the Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar on October 28. A report concerning the proceedings is to be submitted to the Magistrate’s Court on October 30.
Attorney General Files 24 Charges Against Four Defendants
The filing marks the transition of the Airbus investigation from proceedings before the Magistrate’s Court to prosecution before the Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar.
Bandara informed the court that the Attorney General’s Department had completed the necessary steps to bring the consolidated case before the High Court following the investigations conducted by CIABOC and the CID.
The Chief Justice had approved the constitution of a three-judge bench to hear the matter.
Prosecutors have named 59 witnesses in support of the indictment, which concerns alleged financial transactions associated with SriLankan Airlines’ acquisition of Airbus aircraft.
Rajapaksa was arrested on September 4, 2026, after giving a statement to CIABOC investigators for nearly five hours concerning allegations that he accepted Rs. 100 million.
His bail applications were subsequently rejected on several occasions, resulting in the extension of his remand custody.
The allegations have not been determined at trial, and the prosecution must establish its case through admissible evidence.
Defence Invokes Constitutional Right to Personal Liberty
During Tuesday’s proceedings, President’s Counsel Shavindra Fernando, appearing for the defence, drew attention to the workload of the Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar.
He submitted that the court was already conducting a lengthy trial on a daily basis and that considerable time could pass before the new indictment could be taken up.
President’s Counsel Ali Sabry also made submissions concerning Rajapaksa’s continued detention, referring to Article 13 of the Constitution and the protection of personal liberty.
Sabry argued that the completion of investigations should be considered when determining whether further remand was justified.
He informed the court that his client was prepared to appear before the High Court whenever summoned and requested bail under appropriate conditions.
The Chief Magistrate declined to grant bail, observing that the filing of the indictment had altered the jurisdictional position and that the Magistrate’s Court could no longer determine matters properly falling within the High Court proceedings.
Rajapaksa was accordingly ordered to remain in custody pending his production before the Trial-at-Bar.
Separate Krrish Case Complicates Custody Position
Rajapaksa is also involved in separate proceedings concerning the Krrish property development transaction.
The Krrish investigation involves allegations of improper payments connected with the proposed development of land at Transworks Square in Colombo Fort.
The defence informed the court that further submissions would be made concerning a motion in those proceedings.
Rajapaksa had previously obtained bail from the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court on September 30 in a separate money-laundering investigation connected with the Airbus transaction.
That order required cash bail of Rs. 500,000 and two sureties reported at Rs. 100 million each, together with conditions including a foreign-travel prohibition.
However, bail in one proceeding did not automatically secure his release while detention orders remained effective in other cases.
The distinction is important because the Airbus bribery prosecution, the related money-laundering investigation and the Krrish proceedings have involved separate procedural decisions.
Investigators Trace Alleged Airbus Payments Through Singapore
The Airbus investigation includes a series of financial transactions that prosecutors allege formed part of an international payment arrangement.
According to material presented during earlier court proceedings, Airbus transferred EUR 1,454,651.24 on December 27, 2013, into a Standard Chartered Bank account in Singapore maintained by BIZ Solutions Inc.
Investigators identified the company as being registered in the name of Priyanka Niyomali Wijenayake, wife of the late Kapila Chandrasena, who was Chief Executive Officer of SriLankan Airlines during the relevant period.
Prosecutors allege that the payment was connected to improper commissions arising from the aircraft procurement transaction.
Financial records examined during the investigation reportedly showed that US$800,000 was subsequently transferred from the BIZ Solutions account to an account maintained by Sabre Vision Holdings Ltd at OCBC Bank in Singapore.
Businessman Nimal Perera has been identified as the beneficial owner associated with that account.
According to an affidavit attributed to Perera, the US$800,000 was withdrawn and converted into Sri Lankan currency, with approximately Rs. 100 million allegedly handed to Rajapaksa in cash.
The alleged payments were said to have occurred during 2014 and 2015.
Rajapaksa has rejected the allegation that he received the money. His lawyers have also questioned the credibility of Perera’s account and the absence of physical or scientific evidence independently establishing the alleged cash handovers.
These disputed matters will require judicial examination during the prosecution.
Airbus Email Cited in Procurement Investigation
Investigators have also referred to correspondence dating from March 23, 2013, concerning the proposed sale of Airbus aircraft to SriLankan Airlines.
According to prosecutors, an email obtained from Airbus indicated that the then President’s son had agreed to present the aircraft purchase proposal to the Cabinet through President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
The investigation also examined subsequent government consideration of the aircraft procurement proposal, including a Cabinet paper reportedly submitted by then Civil Aviation Minister Priyankara Jayaratne on March 27, 2013.
These communications form part of the material cited by investigators in examining the circumstances surrounding the aircraft acquisition.
Their evidentiary significance, including any connection to alleged bribery or money laundering, remains subject to determination by the court.
International Evidence Forms Part of Prosecution
The investigation involved the examination of information obtained from Singapore, Australia, the United States and France.
Investigators also received assistance from Airbus representatives, who reportedly visited Sri Lanka and provided information relevant to the inquiry.
The financial investigation sought to establish the origin and movement of the funds, the ownership of the accounts involved and whether any payments ultimately reached individuals connected with the aircraft procurement process.
On October 13, the Attorney General’s Department informed the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court that the investigations had been completed and that steps were being taken to obtain the Chief Justice’s approval for the case to proceed before a Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar.
The October 27 filing completes that procedural step and places the prosecution before the High Court.
The immediate next stage is Rajapaksa’s scheduled appearance before the three-judge bench on October 28, when the High Court will assume responsibility for the proceedings arising from the indictment.
The allegations concerning the Airbus transaction remain unproven, and the defendants retain the right to challenge the prosecution’s evidence and present their defence.
