Mahinda leaves unharmed

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa appeared before the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption this morning (12) to give a statement regarding alleged financial irregularities that occurred during the purchase of Airbus aircraft for SriLankan Airlines. Mr. Rajapaksa, who arrived at the commission around 9:30 AM today, left around 11:50 AM after providing information to the relevant investigating officers for nearly two hours.

When the former president appeared before the Bribery Commission, many party supporters, including former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, were also present at the location to express their support for him.

This investigation is based on the process of SriLankan Airlines purchasing six Airbus A-330 type aircraft and eight Airbus A-350 type aircraft in 2013. The company's former Chief Executive Officer, the late Mr. Kapila Chandrasena, and his wife, Mrs. Neomali Wijenaike, were accused of receiving two million US dollars as a bribe in the said transaction. Based on the facts revealed under the Bribery Act and the Anti-Corruption Act related to this incident, Mr. Kapila Chandrasena was re-arrested by the Bribery Commission on March 12th.

The Bribery Commission, reporting facts to the court after the said arrest, stated that Mr. Kapila Chandrasena had declared before the commission that out of the two million US dollars he received as a bribe, 20 million rupees were given to Mr. Piyankara Jayaratne, who was then the Minister of Civil Aviation, and 60 million rupees were given to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa on three occasions. With the aim of investigating the veracity of those statements, the former president was summoned before the commission today, and former Minister Piyankara Jayaratne was also informed to appear before the Bribery Commission today. Additionally, former Southern Province Governor Willie Gamage was also summoned to the Bribery Commission yesterday to obtain a statement regarding this Airbus transaction.

However, Mr. Kapila Chandrasena's lawyers had previously submitted an affidavit to the court, stating that the relevant statement was obtained from him under threat and coercion by the authorities of the Bribery Commission. Amidst such a controversial backdrop, Mr. Kapila Chandrasena's dead body was suspiciously found inside a house last Friday.