Ex-SriLankan Airlines CEO Kapila Chandrasena Dies Amid Reopened Bribery Probe

Former SriLankan Airlines Chief Executive Officer Kapila Chandrasena was found dead at a residence in Colombo on Friday, even as Sri Lankan authorities continue a high-profile bribery and money-laundering investigation linked to Airbus aircraft procurement deals. Police said the circumstances of his death are under investigation and that a report will be submitted to the Colombo magistrate. Officials have not yet confirmed the cause of death, and post-mortem and legal procedures are expected to follow as part of standard protocol.

Police spokesperson F. U. Wootler confirmed that inquiries have begun into the incident, with early steps including gathering statements and examining the location where Chandrasena was found. Authorities said they are treating the matter as sensitive due to the ongoing corruption probe in which he was a key accused. The magistrate’s opinion will be formally sought, which is customary in such sudden or unexplained deaths in Sri Lanka. Investigators are also expected to review recent developments in the case for any possible connections.

Chandrasena, who served as CEO of SriLankan Airlines from 2011 to 2015, had recently been re-implicated in a revived corruption investigation. A local court had issued an order earlier this week for his re-arrest following a petition by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption. The case relates to alleged irregularities in aircraft purchase agreements involving Airbus, which have been under international scrutiny for years.

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The allegations against Chandrasena are part of a wider global corruption settlement reached in 2020, when Airbus SE agreed to pay around $4 billion to authorities in the United States, United Kingdom, and France. The settlement covered multiple bribery cases across several countries, including Sri Lanka. Investigators in the UK had previously alleged that improper payments were made through intermediaries, including funds routed via offshore entities linked to airline officials, raising concerns over procurement transparency.

Sri Lankan prosecutors had earlier named Chandrasena and his wife, Priyanka Niyomali Wijenayaka, as suspects in a money-laundering investigation connected to the aircraft deals. Authorities alleged that funds were transferred through shell companies and complex financial channels, though no final conviction had been reached. Chandrasena was remanded in March as legal proceedings continued, and he remained under investigation at the time of his death.

The case has also drawn attention amid Sri Lanka’s broader efforts to address corruption within state-owned enterprises. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has pledged stricter enforcement and institutional reforms, particularly in loss-making entities such as SriLankan Airlines. The national carrier, which has struggled with debt following Emirates Airline’s exit as a managing shareholder, recently completed a restructuring of $175 million in government-guaranteed bonds after securing over 99% participation in an exchange and tender offer. Authorities say investigations into the Airbus-related allegations remain ongoing.

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