On the bribery trail

The Fort Magistrate Court heard from investigators that SriLankan Airline's former CEO Kapila Chandrasena's wife Priyanka Wijenayake had formed a company called ‘Biz Solution’ in Brunei under her name, maintaining an account for it in a Singapore bank. In December 2013, this account received US$ 2mn from EADS (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company), the mother firm of the French Airbus SE.

The money was then remitted in four installments to another account Mr Chandrasena held in an Australian bank. The Attorney General’s Department indicated that there may be other suspects in Sri Lanka and abroad.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) first reported the case to the Fort Magistrate’s Court in September last year. But the probe was ongoing since 2016. It was only in November 2019, while Mr Chandrasena and Ms Wijenayake were serving travel bans, that the CID received the relevant bank details from Singapore.

The case was taken up several times since then during which time the suspects attempted to get the travel ban lifted without informing Court of a reason. The Magistrate decided this week that there was reasonable doubt they would avoid investigation and Court and remanded them till February 19, 2020.

Documents filed in England’s High Court show that Airbus SE hired Ms Wijenayake as a business partner through the dummy company in Brunei. Mr Chandrasena himself used his private Gmail account to communicate with and invoice Airbus for US$ 2mn (in November and December 2013) in exchange for buying aircraft from the corporation. Payment was approved and US$ 2mn was paid in euros in December 27, 2013.

Ms Wijenayake registered her straw company on October 5, 2012, even as negotiations were ongoing between SriLankan and Airbus for the aircraft deal. In March 2013, Airbus engaged her as a business consultant through this company although she had no aerospace expertise. The first Airbus orders from SLA came three months after her firm was hired.