Rajapaksa era former SriLankan Airlines Chief Executive Officer Kapila Chandrasena and his wife are to be arrested shortly over charges of money laundering in a corrupt deal that cost the national carrier upwards of in excess of 17 billion rupees (USD 116 million).
Kapila Chandrasena
The Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID) submitting B Report bearing No 14363/19 to Fort Magistrate into the inquiry over procuring a fleet for SriLankan Airlines stated that there is reasonable suspicions for the existence of adequate evidence to name Kapila Chandrasena and his wife Priyanka Neomali Wijenayake as suspects and to report to Magistrate Court and obtain a warrant for arrest under the provisions of the Code Of Criminal Procedure Act (No. 15 of 1979) in order to record statements and produce the suspects before Court.
In addition the CID informed Court that two suspects had conspired with some other individuals and companies hitherto unknown to the prosecution.
The CID also informed Court that Singapore’s Central Authority (I.e. Attorney General’s Chambers) has replied with a set of documents on 5th November 2019 subsequent to a request made by the Ministry of Justice under Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act No. 25 of 2002.
The request was made to obtain information into three accounts maintained at the Standard Chartered Bank by a company by the name and style of Biz Solutions.
Accordingly it is revealed that:-
- A sum of USD 2 million has been paid as bribery to an account bearing No 0107130602 under the name of Priyanka Neomali Wijenayake the wife of SriLankan Airlines CEO Kapila Chandrasena by EADS HQ/ SSC France (i.e. European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company N.V.) the parent company of Airbus SAS.
- The money was accepted by Priyanka Neomali Wijenayake who possessed an account under the entity – Biz Solutions bearing No 0107130602 maintained at the Standard Chartered Bank of Singapore.
- Thereafter by remitting money into an account of her husband Kapila Chandrasena bearing no 06323610119179 maintained at the Commonwealth Bank in Australia Priyanka Neomali Wijenayake had committed the offence of money laundering
- This offence of money laundering was committed by Kapila Chandrasena and that his wife Priyanka Neomali Wijenayake aided and abated the committing of this offence.
The CID is also informed the Director General of the CIABOC (Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption) for necessary action.
Last Saturday the Colombo Telegraph reported that as aircraft manufacturer Airbus reached a record 3.6 Billion Euro settlement with US, UK and French authorities following a 4 year investigation into allegations of bribery and corruption, Transparency International Sri Lanka wishes to highlight the importance of paying compensation to the countries who are the victims of corrupt deals involving Airbus.
The statement of facts issued on 31 January 2020 as part of the Deferred Prosecution Agreement reached between Airbus and the prosecuting authorities, indicates that Airbus had agreed to pay out a sum of 16.84 Million US dollars (Rs. 2.5 bn [2015]) to influence the aircraft purchase, to a company registered in Brunei under the wife of an executive at SriLankan Airlines. Furthermore, the statement reads that Airbus had paid out a sum of 2 Million US dollars of the agreed amount to the company.
On 4 April, 2015, the Colombo Telegraph reported that a Board of Inquiry has found shocking details of corruption running into billions of dollars, manipulations of service contracting, recruitment of unqualified staff and major security breaches at Sri Lankan airlines under the former government. The panel headed by anti-corruption advocate and senior lawyer J. C. Weliamuna found instances of gross abuse of power by former Sri Lankan Chairman Nishantha Wickramasinghe, who was the brother in law of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, whose penchant for young air hostesses cost the debt-ridden airline even more problems.
The Board of Inquiry (BOI) found evidence of Wickramasinghe and then Sri Lankan CEO, Kapila Chandrasena falsifying documents to lease a luxury sports utility vehicle for the use of Wickramasinghe. This was in addition to a luxury Mercedes Benz vehicle and a Prado super luxury vehicle. The BOI has found CEO Chandrasena unsuitable for the job and was surprised to discover that he was paid a minimum monthly salary of 1.5 million rupees on top of other perks and he had also enjoyed salaries simultaneously from his other appointments. There had been a time when he drew a salary as Mobitel CEO as well as Mihin Lanka CEO.
The BOI recommends criminal prosecutions of Chandrasena as well as Wickramasinghe, among other senior management staff, but was never carried out by the administration of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
On October 10, 2015, it was reported that Ranil Wickremesinghe’s appointee and confidante – SriLankan Airlines Chairman Ajith Dias has condemned the ‘Weliamuna Report’ saying there was no financial misappropriations found as stated in the final findings made against the former Chairman Nishantha Wickramasinghe, CEO Kapila Chandrasena and thirteen others as those who were accused of corruption and malpractices that caused the national carrier to plunge to a monumental loss of over Rupees 120 billion during the Rajapaksa regime. (By Sandeepa Perera)
VJ / February 4, 2020
Sri Lankan people need some sensational news and the media is geared to provide exactly that. Until some thing else takes priority. The strategy of the government is to continue providing such dramas to divert the attention of the people from the real issues. It would be a miracle if these two and the others involved in this scam are arrested and prosecuted.
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Amarasiri / February 4, 2020
Colombo Telegraph,
“The BOI recommends criminal prosecutions of Chandrasena as well as Wickramasinghe, among other senior management staff, but was never carried out by the administration of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. “
They all are members of the tribe, the same tribe, the Para- Sinhala Tribe, the Para-Sinhala Para-“Buddhist” tribe, aiding and abetting in distorting Buddhism and insulting Buddha, following Buddha-Agama, the “Reformed” Buddhism, the mean UQ 79 imbeciles follow, and will not be prosecuted, for the above offenses.
All those are for entertainment of the imbeciles, mean IQ 79, who are bored with prostrating to the monks, who hijacked Buddhism.
The first 6 kings and the subjects were spared this agony, before the advent of the Para-monks.
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raza / February 5, 2020
RW and Ajith Dias should be also charged for hiding details.
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Eagle Eye / February 5, 2020
Amanasiri,
‘Para’ Portuguese, Dutch and British tried what you are attempting to do for nearly 450 and failed. If you think that by humiliating Sinhala Buddhists who pay respect to monks you will be able to achieve what colonial parasites failed to do, you are sadly mistaken. The IQ of Sinhalayo may be low but they are smart enough to understand the hidden agenda of ‘Para Parayas’.
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Amarasiri / February 7, 2020
Eagle Confused Eye, Eagle AMANA Eye,
Para-Portuguese are called Farangio, Parangio by the local Paras. They are Europeans. See below.
‘Para’ Portuguese, Dutch and British, were imperialists. Their primary objective was colonialism, and Christianity followed them, claiming that all the locals were sinners, and had to be saved, by Christ.
The word Paradeshi, Para- has it’s origins in Sanskrit and Pali , means stranger, outsider, foreigner.
In the Land of Native Veddah Aethho, Sinhala, Tamils, Muslims, Portuguese, Dutch and British all fall under the Para-definition. This also include, Buddhism, Buddha-Agama, Buddha’s Religion, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Jainism etc.
“If you think that by humiliating Sinhala Buddhists ”
Amarasiri is NOT humiliating Buddhists. Amarasiri is pointing out the distorted Buddhism , called Buddha-Agama, and the monk hegemony that comes along with it, and the imbeciles, mean IQ 79, who cannot sort it out.
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/mahavamsa-an-insult-to-the-buddha/
Farang is a Persian word which refers to Franks, once the major Germanic tribe ruling Western Europe. In the Middle East, South Asia and Southeast Asia “Farang” refers to Europeans. This in turn comes from the Old French word franc, meaning “Frank”, a West Germanic tribe that became a major political power in Western and Central Europe during the early Middle Ages, and from which France derives its name. Because the Frankish Empire ruled a large part of Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Low Countries) for centuries, all Europeans and even Middle Easterners associated the word “Frank” with Latins who professed the Roman Catholic faith. Frangistan (Persian: فرنگستان) was a term used by Muslims and Persians in particular, during the Middle Ages and later periods, to refer to Western or Latin Europe. Muslim traders referred to European traders as Farang and it also entered the local vernaculars of South Asia and Southeast Asia.
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babalawathie mudunkotuwa / February 5, 2020
Brother Amarasiri,
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Para Sinhalaya are more or less like asuchi smeared ones today. Look at the podium of Independence day yestreday. To me, I could not watch it for one single reason, that was, those who committed high crimes were held like leaders while the other sat on the opposition ha ha… is this not abnormal ?
Bps that should long have been KEPT away from Human Association are become President and Prime Minister ? So can we at all, with a smidgeon of hope keep hopes about a future ?
Man we are doomed by every means. So call democracy has turned out to be democrazy in this god punished land today.
We have cut our neck by our own, not havingbeeing able to see it right for a moment.
Just imagine, those SIVURU wearing skin heads, that preach others to behave well, the way they behave – they dont have the least lknowledge about the basic rules and reuglations but their RUWANWALI saeya style plate of rice being offered to them by the punnakku eating BUDDHAGAMA followers. They dont carea bout anything but their lovely ones would have been raped out on broad day light. Here you information fits most – these buggers cant have the litte knowledge to distinquish the good from the bad.
So how can they be part of building a progressive society ? We talk high about our so called school rates – high literary and other indicators, but Ethiopians, that were branded as ” the most poor people on this planet” are just overtaking us today.
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Please check it yourself the way TRAMs they introduced to their public transport in that ADISABEBA ! Even if most of us talk high about our less than 200 km -highways – be able to do any big things the way westerners did sofar ?
Nelum or lotus tower or the like very many other white elephant projects… only looted the state but made untouchably rich the Rajapakshes.
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Anonymous / February 5, 2020
Next surprise arrest Maithripala Sirisena for the Easter Sunday Bombing failure!?
Rajapaksas Elections propaganda card??
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Frustrated sinhalaya / February 5, 2020
Annonymous –
if that would be the case, then we need to consider GOTLER as a good leader. But I dont think that would happen, since the bugger SIRISENA was the one SLPP comeback was made possible.
But to me, if SIRISENA would have been beheaded in a public ceremony as to the manner some Arabs would stone the criminals….. could give me a personal comfort rellieving me to some extent. The bugger the way how he betrayed almost everything not being bound to people (that voted for him) but to his party ? and destroyed the party Bandararankaye protected for decades. Event today we can be proud of bandaranayakas – when living in Europe, since entire world is aware of them. But barbarians of the day are known to ONLY medamulana or SWAZILAND.
We should be ashamed being born to SINHALA race.
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Anonymous / February 7, 2020
Gota is sending Ceylon Tea to the poor dying Chines instead of sending Doctors…
What good is tea for those desperate people. Send something useful to them at least!!
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Neomal W / February 6, 2020
Where are the crooks ? The Sri Lankan local press is now very silent on this matter – why ? On whose orders ? Has the crooks gone to Switzerland or hiding in the Swiss embassy ?? We the public need answers ??
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Neomal W / February 6, 2020
Where is Kapila now ?? Is he hiding in Temple Trees ??
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Uthungan / February 6, 2020
“It would be a miracle if these two and others involved are arrested and prosecuted.”
The latest news is both have escaped.
The police went with warrants to arrest and the house is empty.
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Nimal / February 8, 2020
May be some want a part of their commission?
This web site could not be accessed in the island 10 days ago.So much for our independence.
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Nalin / February 4, 2020
Anyone resorting to corruption, and trying to rip off the country, should be held accountable….let’s start with the MR regime, their families, and cronies, and work down through to the previous regime. Fair enough.
These crooks should be ashamed of themselves. No wonder they kept putting on this “boru show” when what they were showing was from their ill gotten gains.
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Amarasiri / February 4, 2020
Nalin,
Those who belong to the Rajapaksa Tribe, their cronies, associates and those who bribe them are exempt.
It has been the old tribal rule and the new rule, the tribal law..
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MrRetort / February 4, 2020
Now corruption would treacle down to lower level in Laws of Sons. Can you anything better in the new deals of this extended family!!
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Stan / February 4, 2020
It is not fair to punish people who collected an illegal commission on the purchase of civilian aircraft (Airbus) for a commercial airline if those persons who collected an illegal commission on the purchase of military aircraft (Mig) for the Air Force are granted immunity from prosecution.
Another odd thing seems to be that the accused are to be charged for money laundering, not for collecting an illegal commission. I think this is because it is the standard procedure in this country for politicians, bureaucrats, and military high-ups to collect commission!
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Douglas / February 4, 2020
VJ: No news of arrests yet. Perhaps “Lawyers” of “Rajapkse King’s Court” must be preparing to file a “Fundamental Rights” case to “Prevent Arrest”. Our present President showed that by example . Or are these two and the “REST” involved have already left the country.
Nalin: “These crooks should be ashamed of themselves”. Are you “Dreaming” that to happen. All these crooks are “Professionals”; “Academic” and “Intellectuals” and in pursuit of their “Careers” they have “LEARNED” and by “PRACTICE” given up all those “FEELINGS” of guilt and to be ashamed. That is how they have acquired the SKILLS to “LOOT” the wealth of the country. They do very well in all respects.
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UKCitizen / February 4, 2020
There are 2 reports – The Weliamuna Commission report released in 2015. This report was made public and named names including Kapila Chandrasena. It also names all those within the Airline who approved the US$2.3 Billion airbus order.
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Nobody has been charged.
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A second report completed last year (a 1 year investigation!) has not been released. I imagine there is a great deal more information here.
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This needs to be released.
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These people all look out for each other – when was the last time any Politicians, their families, their cronies or their criminal associates were convicted of anything? These people have even gotten away with murder!
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Cyclops / February 5, 2020
It’s already more than 5 days since this story broke out but still no arrests have been made despite all the noise.!! I am pretty damn sure the couple have been allowed to sneak out of the country unnoticed while they dilly dally with arrest warrants.
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Dionysus / February 5, 2020
The “to be charged” story has now been running for three days. Why haven’t they been taken into custody yet? Why is there no official release on what’s the holdup?
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Jack H / February 5, 2020
Chandrasena is good for nothing but a crook, a thief but seems to be a great confidant to then political authority,otherwise he won’t be able to swindle such a amount of money from such bankrupt airline without any hesitation, surprise is then head of the country believes he should be CEO of Mobitel (2nd may 2013) on as well as MIhin air same time, ( according to the Sunday times 5th may 2013)Why ? he has grate faith with him we can believe , that he will give boss lion share of plunder
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Jack H / February 5, 2020
I voted Gota in presidential election,but now i doubt i do the same in forth coming parliamentary election as well,because I smell strong link between MR and chandrasena, he seems to be go-between for share
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rew / February 5, 2020
Ranil and ex Chairman Dias must also be answerable.
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Fred / February 5, 2020
The heading to the article proclaims optimistically that the couple are to be arrested but if anyone thinks that is going to happen anytime soon he had better not hold his breath. Before an arrest can be made the couple have to be located and that, as we know from other examples, is not something the authorities have excelled in. Remember the former ambassadors to the US and Russia we would dearly like to see back on home soil ? They are still at large. And considering that, does anyone seriously think they’ll get the former CB Governor extradited to SL either? President Sirisena was naive, to say that least, to imagine that a personal appeal to his Singaporean counterpart would do the trick. This couple will also play the same game of ‘catch me if you can’. And the nation can only watch with despair as the list of these high profile fugitives grows.
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Plato. / February 5, 2020
Most probably even the Police know that Kapila and his wife are in Australia. Next they may inform courts that they have not survived the Australian Bush Fires. Case closed!
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mercy / February 6, 2020
plato you are 200 percent correct. ha ha ho ho
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rbh / February 6, 2020
Corruption and malpractices This reflects in the increased amount involved in fraud systematic and comprehensive checking, observed unearth frauds perpetrated over a number of years. Occurrence of fraud showing a declining trend. One of the reason that sri lanka cannot pay the depth trap, No man who is not himself honest can be free – he is his own trap
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Bandu / February 6, 2020
If a Commission of $2M was taken for this deal alone, imagine the colossal commissions collected for the always breakdown Norochcholai, the Highways, the sale of army land to Shangri La, Hambantota Port and Airport and all other developments the boast about.
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Goraka / February 7, 2020
They are worst than terrorists – they are robbing every Sri Lankans’ future.
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Fred / February 7, 2020
In my comments two days ago, I said this couple will also remain at large like the former ambassadors to the US and Russia and the former Governor of the Central Bank. Well, I have been proved wrong. But it is welcome news that they have surrendered to the Police. Let’s hope that the matter proceeds satisfactorily from here.
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Thondamany / February 7, 2020
Most of you have jumped the gun and speculating with ifs and buts……….. Why the sarcasm.
With such comments by most of you here, you people are no better than kapila Chandrasea.
Kapila Chandrasena & Wife are in remand as I write in now.
Most of you speculators left to lick your wounds.
How Disgusting people writers can be..
Niel Amstrong also kept a small step.
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Nimal / February 8, 2020
Perhaps hey are kept in a hospital until they get a flight to Singapore?
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Spring Koha / February 9, 2020
I am a regular paying client of the ‘national carrier’. Excellent crew, super cabin staff who nearly always exceed expectations. This should be a business that pays and pays – the people of Sri Lanka who own it. NOT grease the palms of the smart arse nominees of our crooked politicians who are hell bent on treating it as their cash cow. Far too many politicians treat the airline as if it was their own ‘air force one’. Like all the other scams this too looks like it will die a death because far too many across the political spectrum are involved. Once again, WE the People are hung, drawn and quartered and left out to dry.
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