Former SriLankan CEO Kapila Chandrasena found dead - Police

Former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SriLankan Airlines, Kapila Chandrasena, was found dead at a residence in Colpetty, according to Police.

Police later stated that the death is suspected to be a suicide.

Police Media Spokesperson, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) F. U. Wootler, said the body was discovered at a residence located at No. 38, Pedris Road, Kollupitiya, where Chandrasena had reportedly died by hanging.

Meanwhile, the Colombo Magistrate’s Court yesterday issued an order for the arrest and production before court of Chandrasena, who had been released on bail two days earlier.

The arrest warrant was issued by Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodharagama after considering a request made by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), on the grounds that the defendant had allegedly violated bail conditions.

Issuing the order, the Chief Magistrate directed officers of the Bribery Commission to immediately execute the warrant.

Chandrasena, who was arrested on March 12 in connection with the alleged acceptance of bribes during the purchase of Airbus aircraft for the national carrier, had been granted bail by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday (May 5).

At the time, the Magistrate ordered that the suspect be released on a cash bail of Rs. 500,000 and three sureties of Rs. 1 million each.

However, the Bribery Commission informed court through a motion that the suspect had allegedly paid two individuals Rs. 15,000 each to appear as bail signatories and furnish the sureties of Rs. 1 million each.

The Bribery Commission alleged that, through this action, the suspect had violated the bail conditions imposed by court and breached the trust placed in him by the judiciary.

Accordingly, CIABOC requested court to suspend the suspect’s bail order under Sections 14(1) and 14(3) of the Bail Act No. 30 of 1997, and further requested that he be remanded until the conclusion of the case under Section 149(1) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The Bribery Commission also sought the issuance of a warrant for the arrest of the suspect, who had already been released from prison on bail.

Having considered the submissions made, the Magistrate ordered the arrest and production of the suspect before court and directed that a warrant be issued.

Chandrasena, who served as CEO of SriLankan Airlines during a 2013 deal to purchase 10 aircraft worth US$2.3 billion, is accused of conspiring to accept a bribe of US$16 million and receiving €1.45 million into a bank account in Singapore.

According to prosecutors, Chandrasena had allegedly created a shell company in Brunei under his wife’s name and arranged for the kickback payment to be deposited into its Singapore account.

Chandrasena had previously been arrested and released on bail in February 2020 in a similar but separate case.