Sri Lanka arrests former President Rajapaksa’s son over Airbus deal
Namal Rajapaksa, son of former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, has been arrested in connection with a corruption investigation into a 2013 Airbus aircraft purchase. The probe alleges that kickbacks were funneled to senior officials during the deal.
Why it matters
The arrest represents a significant development in long-standing corruption allegations against the powerful Rajapaksa political dynasty in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka's main anti-graft body arrested lawmaker Namal Rajapaksa, the son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, on Friday (September 4, 2026) in connection with a corruption probe into a 2013 Airbus aircraft purchase.
The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) said the 40-year-old scion of the once-powerful Rajapaksa family "was summoned for questioning over the Airbus transaction".
"The MP was arrested afterwards and will be taken before a magistrate," a commission official said.
It was not immediately clear what charges Mr. Namal faces.
His lawyer, Nishantha Dayananda, confirmed the arrest over the controversial $2.3-billion deal, which was eventually cancelled by a new government in 2016.
CIABOC had questioned the former President himself in May over allegations that he had received kickbacks from the aircraft purchase.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in