Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa says he will comply with the summons issued by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) and appear before the Commission on the scheduled date.

The former President made the remarks while attending the funeral of former SriLankan Airlines CEO Kapila Chandrasena to pay his final respects.

Former President Rajapaksa has been instructed via letter to appear before the Bribery Commission on May 12 to record a statement regarding the controversial Airbus deal.

The case relates to allegations that Kapila Chandrasena and his wife, Priyanka Nayomali Wijenayake, accepted a USD 2 million bribe in connection with SriLankan Airlines’ 2013 purchase of six Airbus A330 aircraft and eight A350 aircraft.

During court proceedings, Bribery Commission officials stated that Kapila Chandrasena had claimed Rs. 20 million from the alleged payment was given to then Civil Aviation Minister Piyankara Jayaratne, while Rs. 60 million was allegedly handed over to then President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

However, President’s Counsel Rienzie Arsekularatne challenged the claims, submitting an affidavit to court alleging that statements had been obtained from his client under intimidation by the Director General of the Bribery Commission.