Namal Rajapaksa, the son of former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa, has been arrested over alleged corruption linked to the purchase of Airbus aircraft by national carrier SriLankan Airlines.
The opposition MP was remanded in custody until September 18 after more than five hours of questioning by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), Sri Lanka’s anti-graft agency.
Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S Bodaragama issued the remand order after Mr Rajapaksa was produced before the court on Friday.
CIABOC is investigating an alleged 100 million Sri Lankan rupee bribe connected to the procurement of wide-body aircraft for SriLankan Airlines. Reports from the hearing said investigators were examining transfers involving accounts in Singapore and a Sri Lankan businessman.
The inquiry centres on a 2013 deal with European manufacturer Airbus. According to reports from Sri Lanka, the investigation is based on information from the businessman, statements provided by Airbus officials and documents gathered by the commission.
Mr Rajapaksa, a lawmaker for the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, has consistently denied any wrongdoing. His lawyers challenged the allegations in court and sought his release on bail.
The arrest followed a summons requiring him to appear before CIABOC to give a statement. The commission had rejected a request for an alternative date and warned that legal action could follow if he failed to attend.
An Airbus delegation visited Colombo in August to assist with the investigation. The company reached a settlement with authorities in France, the UK and the United States in 2020 after a three-year probe into alleged bribery in aircraft sales, agreeing to pay a fine of about US$4 billion.
SriLankan Airlines and Airbus have not commented on the arrest.
