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Airbus bribe: Judge asks CID why they delayed action against Kapila and wife
Criminal Investigation Department officials remained silent when Fort Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake asked them to explain why they delayed action against those who obtained huge bribes in a transaction that involved public finance.
The magistrate’s query came while he ordered the release of SriLankan Airlines’ former Chief Executive Officer Kapila Chandrasena and his wife Priyanka Niyomali Wijenayake on a cash bail of Rs. 2 million and two sureties of Rs. 20 million each. The charges against them relate to SriLankan Airlines’ purchase of 10 Airbus aircraft in 2013.
Appearing for Mr. Chandrasena and his wife, lawyers Nalin Ladduwahetty, PC, and Anuja Premaratne pleaded that their clients be granted bail as they would have no influence over the investigations. The magistrate imposed a travel ban on the suspects and ordered that they should appear at the CID office between 9 a.m. and noon on the last Sunday of every month. The suspects were told that they should be available to give statements to court when asked to do so.
The CID had earlier arrested the couple after the Fort Magistrate issued arrest warrants on them. They were in remand prison for 28 days.
Investigations have revealed that Airbus had transferred US$ 2mn – part of the US$ 16.84 mn bribe — to a Singapore bank account maintained by a company belonging to Ms. Wijenayake. Chunks of this money were later remitted to a different Singapore bank account held by businessman Nimal Perera.
Deputy Solicitor General Thusith Mudalige told court that both Ms. Wijenayake and Mr. Perera had said they were unaware of the money that had been deposited in their bank accounts.
When DSG Mudalige told court that Mr. Perera had sought permission to travel to Singapore to check on the amount received to the account, the magistrate asked him would there be anyone who would not know that US$ 800,000 had been remitted to his or her bank account.
DSG Mudalige informed the magistrate that money had also been remitted to a few other accounts here. Referring to a transfer of 160,000 euros to an account belonging to a Sri Lankan agro company, he told court that 27-year-old Yohan Abeyratne who had withdrawn the money from the Agro Company using two cheques had died of a heart attack.
The magistrate ordered the CID to report the progress of the investigation when the case is taken up on April 27.