Former SriLankan Airlines chief executive Kapila Chandrasena was found dead on Friday, according to Sri Lankan police. His death comes amid ongoing investigations linked to the major Airbus Bribery Scandal involving aircraft purchases worth billions of dollars.
Police said Chandrasena’s body was discovered at the home of a relative in Colombo. Authorities confirmed that an investigation has been launched to determine the exact cause of death and the surrounding circumstances.
Chandrasena had recently been facing corruption charges connected to the Airbus Bribery Scandal. Prosecutors accused him of conspiring to accept a $16 million bribe related to a $2.3 billion deal for the purchase of 10 Airbus aircraft for SriLankan Airlines.
The former airline chief was taken into custody in March. Investigators claimed he later disclosed details of payments allegedly made during the aircraft deal approval process.
According to reports, Chandrasena told investigators that part of the money was allegedly paid to former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and former aviation minister Piyankara Jayaratne. A spokesperson for Rajapaksa denied all allegations and described them as politically motivated.
Court documents stated that Chandrasena admitted to paying around 60 million Sri Lankan rupees in 2013 while leading the national airline. The payment was allegedly made during efforts to secure cabinet approval for the Airbus deal.
Chandrasena was released from remand custody earlier this week. However, a court later ordered his re-arrest after prosecutors accused him of bribing two men to obtain bail.
The Airbus Bribery Scandal has attracted international attention over the past several years. In 2020, authorities in the United States, Britain, and France named Chandrasena during a joint investigation into Airbus business practices.
That same year, Airbus agreed to pay nearly $4 billion in penalties to settle corruption investigations in multiple countries. British investigators accused the aircraft manufacturer of failing to prevent bribery linked to airline officials in Sri Lanka.
The US government also imposed sanctions on Chandrasena in December 2024 for allegedly accepting bribes connected to Airbus transactions.
SriLankan Airlines has faced severe financial difficulties for years. Official reports estimate the airline’s accumulated losses reached nearly 596 billion rupees by March last year. Attempts to privatize the state-owned carrier have so far failed.
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The latest developments have once again placed Sri Lanka’s aviation sector and political leadership under public scrutiny. Authorities have not yet released further details regarding Chandrasena’s death.
