A special joint Police team of the Bribery Commission and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is scheduled to travel to Australia to trace suspects and witnesses connected to the bribery incident involving USD 2 million received from a European airline company linked to the SriLankan Airlines Airbus deal, it was reported.
According to the Lankadeepa newspaper, the mission aims to record statements and gather evidence from individuals residing in Australia who are believed to have held accounts through which the bribery money was transferred.
The Bribery Commission had earlier informed the court that W.D. Nimal Perera, said to be the owner of one such bank account, is living in Australia.
Among the main suspects are Priyanka Nayomali Wijenayake, wife of the late former CEO Kapila Chandrasena, and Shamindra Rajapaksa, son of former Minister Chamal Rajapaksa.
Both are currently overseas, with warrants already issued against them by the Colombo and Fort Magistrates’ Courts.
The case before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court has been filed by the Bribery Commission, while the Fort Magistrate’s Court case has been filed by the CID.
Investigations focus on the establishment of a fake company in Brunei and the acceptance of a bribe amounting to EUR 1,454,645.54 (USD 2 million) from the European civil aviation giant European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (ADS) during the 2013 purchase of ten aircraft by SriLankan Airlines. (Newswire)
