Former SriLankan Airlines Chief Executive Officer Kapila Chandrasena was found dead at a residence in Colpetty, police confirmed yesterday, in a case now suspected to be a suicide.
According to Police Media Spokesperson Assistant Superintendent of Police F. U. Wootler, Chandrasena’s body was discovered hanging inside a residence located on Pedris Road, Kollupitiya.
The death came just hours after the Colombo Magistrate’s Court issued an order for his arrest over an alleged violation of bail conditions linked to an ongoing corruption case involving the purchase of Airbus aircraft for SriLankan Airlines.
Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodharagama issued the warrant after considering submissions made by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), which claimed Chandrasena had breached the conditions imposed when he was granted bail earlier this week.
Chandrasena had been arrested on March 12 over allegations connected to a 2013 aircraft procurement deal worth US$2.3 billion involving the purchase of 10 Airbus aircraft for the national carrier. Prosecutors alleged that he conspired to accept a bribe amounting to US$16 million and received €1.45 million through a Singapore bank account.
Investigators further claimed that a shell company had been created in Brunei under his wife’s name to facilitate the alleged payment.
On Tuesday, the Colombo Magistrate’s Court ordered his release on a cash bail of Rs. 500,000 and three sureties of Rs. 1 million each.
However, CIABOC later informed court that Chandrasena had allegedly paid two individuals Rs. 15,000 each to appear as bail signatories and furnish the required sureties. The Commission argued that the act amounted to a violation of bail conditions and a breach of the trust placed in the accused by the judiciary.
Based on those submissions, the Bribery Commission requested the suspension of Chandrasena’s bail under provisions of the Bail Act No. 30 of 1997 and sought his remand until the conclusion of proceedings under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
After considering the motion, the Magistrate ordered his immediate arrest and production before court.
Chandrasena had previously been arrested and later released on bail in February 2020 in connection with a separate but related case linked to the same aircraft procurement controversy.
Leave your comments
Login to post a comment
Post comment as a guest