SriLankan Airlines to ‘cooperate’ in corruption allegations over Airbus purchases

The management of SriLankan Airlines will ‘cooperate’ fully with any state agency in the event of an investigation/prosecution into allegations of corruption in the purchase/lease of an Airbus aircraft, the national carrier said on Sunday.

“SriLankan Airlines Ltd has become aware of a Judgement in the United Kingdom related to a charge of corruption in the purchase/ lease of Aircraft between the period 2011-  2015 June. Therefore the Chairman with the concurrence of the Board has directed the management to cooperate fully with any Governmental agency in the event of any investigation/ prosecution. The management has also been directed to preserve and study all available internal documentation with a view to take all possible corrective future action,” the airline said in a statement.

According to court documents unveiled in a British court case, Airbus SE hired the wife of a SriLankan Airlines (SLA) executive as a business partner through a dummy company she registered in Brunei. “The corporation then paid into this entity’s account US$ 2 million (Rs. 362 million) out of a total US$16.84 million (Rs. 3 billion) promised in return for ensuring that the national carrier bought aircraft from Airbus, according to a Sunday Times report. (SD)