{
  "type": "article",
  "title": "Airbus Deal Corruption Probe Lands Sri Lanka's Namal Rajapaksa in Custody",
  "summary": "Sri Lanka's anti-corruption commission has arrested Namal Rajapaksa, elder son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, over an alleged Airbus aircraft purchase scam and remanded him in custody until September 18.",
  "content": "Sri Lanka's anti-corruption watchdog has taken Namal Rajapaksa, the elder son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, into custody over allegations tied to the purchase of Airbus aircraft for SriLankan Airlines.\n\nThe 40-year-old was summoned by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) on Friday. After more than five hours of questioning, the commission placed him under arrest. He was then produced before Magistrate Asanga S. Boderagama, and a Colombo court remanded him in custody until September 18.\n\nAccused of profiting $800,000 from the Airbus deal\nRajapaksa, a leader of the opposition Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), was questioned on the basis of information that he had personally benefited to the tune of $800,000 from the purchase of wide-body Airbus jets for SriLankan Airlines during his father's presidency. Investigators found that commissions from the deal had been deposited into several bank accounts at the time. This marks the first time any member of the Rajapaksa family has been remanded since the current National People's Power government took office two years ago. Earlier this year, his cousin Shashendra Rajapaksa was also remanded in a separate case and is currently out on bail.\n\nArrest comes days before a planned rally\nThe timing has drawn attention because Namal Rajapaksa had recently announced plans to hold a large anti-government rally on September 12 in the north-central city of Anuradhapura. The SLPP has alleged that his arrest and remand are a calculated move by the government to derail that rally and blunt his broader campaign against the administration. His siblings, too, have faced a string of allegations over the years, all of which they describe as politically motivated.\n\nFollows the arrest of Johnston Fernando\nFriday's arrest and remand came shortly after CIABOC arrested Johnston Fernando, who served as a cabinet minister in Rajapaksa-led governments between 2005 and 2023. Fernando was accused of misusing public funds to arrange seating at a conference hall named after Mahinda Rajapaksa in the central district of Kandy. Together, the two cases are being read as a sign of intensified anti-corruption action in Sri Lanka, even as the Rajapaksa family and the SLPP maintain that they are being politically targeted.\n\nWhat this means for you\nThe case doesn't hit an ordinary reader's wallet directly, but it matters to anyone tracking Sri Lankan politics, travel or investments in the region.\n\n• For travellers to Sri Lanka: With a large rally planned in Anuradhapura on September 12 and political tension rising around it, anyone planning a trip there in the coming weeks should keep an eye on local conditions.\n• For investors and businesses: A corruption probe into an aircraft procurement deal is likely to increase scrutiny of state-run companies like SriLankan Airlines, which could affect how future contracts and tenders are handled.\n• For Sri Lanka political watchers: This is the first arrest of a Rajapaksa family member in two years under the current National People's Power government, signalling it is actively reopening old corruption cases, a move likely to sharpen the standoff between the ruling side and the opposition.\n• For regional stability watchers: The remand, which runs until September 18, and the hearings that follow will help determine how much political turbulence builds in Sri Lanka over the coming weeks.\n\nQuestions & Answers\n\n1. Who is Namal Rajapaksa?\nHe is the elder son of former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and a leader of the opposition SLPP party.\n\n2. What case was he arrested in?\nHe was arrested over alleged corruption linked to the purchase of Airbus aircraft for SriLankan Airlines.\n\n3. How much is he accused of profiting?\nHe is accused of benefiting roughly $800,000 from the deal.\n\n4. Until when has he been remanded?\nA Colombo magistrate, Asanga S. Boderagama, remanded him in custody until September 18.\n\n5. Are other family members also under investigation?\nYes, his cousin Shashendra Rajapaksa was also remanded earlier this year and is currently out on bail.\n\n6. What major event was this arrest ahead of?\nNamal Rajapaksa had planned a large anti-government rally in Anuradhapura on September 12.\n\n7. Was there an earlier related arrest?\nYes, former minister Johnston Fernando was also arrested shortly before in a separate corruption case.",
  "url": "https://trendkia.com/en/asia/eyarabasa-dila-men-ghotale-ka-aropa-namal-rajapaksa-bhrashtachara-ayoga-ki-giraphta-men-27997",
  "category": "Asia",
  "publishedAt": "2026-09-05",
  "tags": [
    "Namal Rajapaksa",
    "Mahinda Rajapaksa",
    "Sri Lanka corruption",
    "Airbus deal",
    "CIABOC",
    "SriLankan Airlines"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "site": "TrendKia"
}