Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa appeared before the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) this morning to record a statement in connection with the controversial SriLankan Airlines Airbus procurement deal.
The inquiry relates to allegations surrounding a reported US$2 million bribe linked to the purchase of aircraft for the national carrier in 2013. The Bribery Commission had earlier issued a notice requesting the former President to provide a statement regarding the matter.
Former Aviation Minister Priyankara Jayaratne has also reportedly been summoned before the Commission as part of the ongoing investigation.
Meanwhile, Attorney-at-Law Manoj Gamage, media spokesman for former President Rajapaksa, stated that legal consultations were expected to take place concerning several issues surrounding the summons.
According to Gamage, the summons had been based on a confession allegedly made by the late former SriLankan Airlines CEO Kapila Chandrasena. However, he claimed Chandrasena had later submitted an affidavit to court stating that the confession was obtained through threats and coercion.
Gamage further argued that if the investigation relied solely on that confession, the basis for the summons would be legally questionable.
The CIABOC investigation into the Airbus deal remains ongoing.
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