Former SriLankan Airlines CEO Kapila Chandrasena found dead at Kollupitiya home. Court ordered post mortem as police investigate possible suicide or foul play.
The body of former SriLankan Airlines CEO Kapila Chandrasena, who was facing bribery charges, was found this morning (08) at a house in the Kollupitiya area. A piece of a torn cloth belt was found around his neck, and police suspect this to be a suicide. Fort Magistrate Pasanna Amarasekera has ordered the Director of the Colombo National Hospital to appoint a committee of five judicial medical officers to conduct the post mortem examination.
The body was found in a house on Pedris Road, Kollupitiya. Police stated that the body was discovered in a room on the second floor of the house belonging to veteran cricketer Aravinda de Silva. A photograph taken at the scene shows Chandrasena’s head resting on a cushion chair while the lower part of his body was touching the floor. Observations noted a cloth belt around the neck area and a similar cloth belt hanging from the adjacent door.
It is reported that Chandrasena, who is married to the sister of Aravinda de Silva’s wife, had arrived at the house yesterday evening and spent the night there. Police suspect that he hanged himself from a door in his room during the early hours of the morning. Kollupitiya Police are conducting investigations to determine whether this was a suicide or whether another crime had been committed.
Police informed the Fort Magistrate’s Court that they were treating the matter as a suspicious death and conducting further investigations. Police also requested the Magistrate to conduct a Magistrate’s inquiry and issue an order for a post mortem examination. Accordingly, Fort Magistrate Pasanna Amarasekera visited the house this afternoon to conduct the Magistrate’s inquiry. The Colombo Judicial Medical Officer also arrived at the scene. Chandrasena’s body was subsequently moved to the Colombo National Hospital mortuary.
Further investigations are being carried out under the supervision of Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of the Western Province, Sajeewa Medawatta, and on the instructions of Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of the Colombo Division, Nishantha Soysa. Chandrasena’s body was found this morning after the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court issued a warrant yesterday (07) for his arrest and production before court.
He had been in remand custody for 54 days in connection with a case involving the acceptance of a $2 million bribe in a questionable Airbus deal in 2013. He was released by court on May 05 on a cash bail of Rs. 500,000 and three surety bails of Rs. 1 million each from close relatives. The court had been informed that Chandrasena had presented two individuals falsely claiming they were relatives to fulfill bail conditions. Those two individuals were subsequently arrested and remanded. The court then issued a fresh warrant for Chandrasena’s arrest for breaching the court’s trust.
A legal consultation session led by President’s Counsel Rienzie Arsekularatne was held last night to provide legal advice to Chandrasena. Although Chandrasena did not attend, several of his close associates were present. It was decided at that session that Chandrasena would be produced before court through lawyers this morning, and he was informed of this by telephone. Accordingly, following the advice of President’s Counsel Arsekularatne, a lawyer arrived at the Kollupitiya house around 7:30 am today to inform Chandrasena about filing a motion to recall the case and appear in court.
The lady of the house reportedly knocked on the door of the room where Chandrasena was staying, but he did not respond. She then brought a spare key and, together with the lawyer, opened the door, where they found Chandrasena lying on the floor. In 2013, during the purchase of 06 Airbus A-330 and 08 A-350 aircraft for SriLankan Airlines, allegations were made that former SriLankan Airlines CEO Kapila Chandrasena and his wife Neomali Wijenaike had accepted a bribe of $2 million.
The Criminal Investigation Department initiated an investigation under money laundering laws, arrested the suspects in 2020, and produced them before the Fort Magistrate’s Court, after which they were released on bail. As the investigation also revealed an offense under the Bribery Act and Anti-Corruption Act, the Bribery Commission also launched an investigation, leading to Chandrasena’s re-arrest on March 12. During investigations, the Bribery Commission informed court that Chandrasena had stated that he had given Rs. 20 million of the $2 million bribe to then Civil Aviation Minister Priyankara Jayaratne and Rs. 60 million to then President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
However, objecting to this, President’s Counsel Rienzie Arsekularatne submitted an affidavit to court stating that the Director General of the Bribery Commission had obtained statements from his client through threats. The Bribery Commission has also informed former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and former Minister Priyankara Jayaratne to appear before the Commission on the 12th to record statements regarding the investigation. Meanwhile, Fort Magistrate Pasanna Amarasekera, who conducted the Magistrate’s inquiry into Chandrasena’s death, ordered that a post mortem examination be conducted by a board of five judicial medical officers to be appointed by the Director of the Colombo National Hospital, and that a report be submitted to court on the 12th.
