Sri Lanka Ex-President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Son Namal Arrested Over $800,000 Airbus Deal Corruption

Namal Rajapaksa, the elder son of Sri Lanka's former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, was arrested by the island nation's anti-graft commission over alleged corruption linked to the purchase of Airbus aircraft for SriLankan Airlines.

Rajapaksa, 40, was asked to appear before the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) on Friday. He was arrested after more than five hours of questioning by the anti-graft commission before being presented before Magistrate Asanga S Boderagama.

The Colombo magistrate remanded him till September 18, officials said.

The questioning of Namal Rajapaksa, a leader of the opposition Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), was based on information that he had benefited USD 800,000 from the purchase of wide-bodied Airbus aircraft for SriLankan Airlines under his father's presidency, when commissions were deposited into various bank accounts.