Court orders arrest of former SriLankan CEO Kapila Chandrasena

The Colombo Magistrate’s Court has ordered the arrest of Kapila Chandrasena, the former Chief Executive Officer of SriLankan Airlines. This decision comes just two days after he was granted bail. Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodharagama made this ruling today following a request from the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC). The reason for the arrest warrant is that Chandrasena allegedly broke the conditions of his bail. The Chief Magistrate instructed the officers of the Bribery Commission to carry out the arrest immediately. Chandrasena was taken into custody on March 12 due to accusations of accepting bribes related to the purchase of Airbus aircraft for the airline. He was released on bail by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, May 5, after paying a cash bail of Rs. 500,000 and providing three sureties of Rs. 1 million each. However, the Bribery Commission reported to the court that Chandrasena had paid two people Rs. 15,000 each to act as his bail signatories and to post the sureties of Rs. 1 million each. The officer from the Bribery Commission claimed this action violated the bail conditions set by the court and undermined the court's trust. As a result, the officer requested that the court suspend Chandrasena’s bail under Sections 14(1) and 14(3) of the Bail Act No. 30 of 1997. The officer also asked for an order to remand him until the case concludes, citing Section 149(1) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Additionally, the officer requested the court to issue a warrant for the arrest of Chandrasena, who had already left prison after being released on bail.