Sri Lanka ex-president's son arrested over Airbus deal

Lawmaker Namal Rajapaksa, son of former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, was arrested on Friday and remanded for two weeks on corruption charges linked to a 2013 aircraft purchase deal. The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) took Rajapaksa, a member of parliament, into custody after several hours of questioning. A Colombo Chief Magistrate ordered Rajapaksa, 40, to be held until September 18, 2026, pending further investigation into allegations of receiving kickbacks. CIABOC stated in court that Rajapaksa allegedly received $800,000, part of payments purportedly made by the European aircraft manufacturer to secure the deal. Court submissions indicated that a Sri Lankan businessman arranged the transfer of funds to Rajapaksa through two bank accounts in Singapore. The investigation centers on claims that Airbus channeled money from the approximately $2.3 billion transaction to senior Sri Lankan officials and politicians. The aircraft purchase, which required cabinet approval during Mahinda Rajapaksa's presidency from 2005 to 2015, was eventually canceled by a new government in 2016.