Colombo, Oct 28 The Colombo high court on Wednesday ordered that parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa, who is in remand custody, be produced before it on November 19 in connection with an alleged bribery case linked to the purchase of Airbus aircraft by SriLankan Airlines.
Rajapaksa was produced before the three-judge bench of the Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar on Wednesday following an order by the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court.
The Attorney General’s Department has filed an indictment containing 24 charges against Rajapaksa and other accused in connection with the Airbus transaction. The indictment lists 59 witnesses.
The case relates to allegations that Rajapaksa accepted a 100 million Sri Lankan rupees bribe in connection with the acquisition of wide-body Airbus aircraft for SriLankan Airlines. The allegations also include money laundering.
Rajapaksa, the elder son of former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa, was arrested on September 4 by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) and subsequently remanded in custody.
The indictment was filed before the Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar after the Attorney General’s Department informed the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday that the case had been transferred to the trial-at-bar.
Rajapaksa is a parliamentarian of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna.
The Rajapaksa family and their political allies have previously alleged that legal action against members of the family is politically motivated, while the government has defended its anti-corruption drive as part of its electoral mandate.
Rajapaksa’s lawyers indicated on Wednesday that they intended to seek bail after the officials handling the prosecution appeared before the court. The case was adjourned to November 19.
(PTI News)
