Namal Rajapaksa named suspect in Airbus procurement money laundering case

Member of Parliament Namal Rajapaksa has been named as a suspect in a money laundering case involving alleged financial irregularities in the procurement of Airbus aircraft for SriLankan Airlines. This development follows his arrest on September 4 by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) regarding a separate allegation of accepting Rs 100 million in bribes.

Investigators allege that approximately €1.45 million was deposited into a Singapore-based account held by BIZ Solutions Inc. From those funds, USD 800,000 was reportedly transferred to Sabre Vision Holdings Ltd, a company owned by a Sri Lankan businessman. It is alleged that Rajapaksa subsequently received Rs 100 million in cash from this businessman during 2014 and 2015.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) filed a motion before the Fort Magistrate’s Court naming Rajapaksa as a suspect in the money laundering investigation. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has addressed the matter, stating that the law must apply to everyone regardless of political status or family connections. The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) has condemned the arrest, claiming the proceedings are politically motivated.