Namal Rajapaksa remanded until Sept. 23 in airbus case

The Colombo Fort Magistrate's Court has ordered Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa to be remanded in judicial custody until September 23 in connection with the controversial Airbus aircraft re-fleeting and procurement inquiry. The lawmaker was brought to the courthouse amidst tight police and paramilitary security arrangements.

State counsel representing the Attorney General's Department and financial crimes investigators submitted preliminary evidence outlining alleged illicit commissions and laundering networks connected to aircraft procurement deals negotiated under the previous administration. Prosecutors argued that remanding the suspect was imperative to safeguard evidence and conduct uninterrupted inquiries into foreign transactions.

Defense attorneys strongly contested the detention plea, filing bail applications and maintaining that the parliamentarian had complied with legal summonses and had no direct role in procurement decisions. After reviewing submissions from both parties, the Fort Magistrate denied bail for the period and instructed investigators to submit a comprehensive progress report at the next hearing.