JVP demands investigation into four bank accounts that benefitted from Airbus deal

COLOMBO (News 1st):- The JVP has demanded an investigation into four bank accounts believed to have benefited through commissions from the SriLankan Airlines - Airbus re-fleet deal. Convenor of the Voice Against Corruption, Wasantha Samarasinghe speaking on the matter said;

"Money was transferred from a Singaporean bank account owned by Kapila Chandrasena's wife to Kapila Chandrasena's account in Australia. This money was retransferred to a few bank accounts in Sri Lanka. For whom did Kapila Chandrasena send this money? It is for those who knew this corrupt deal. Who were the powerful individuals who ensured that the money was transferred? It was the former Chairman of SriLankan Airlines who was functioning above Kapila Chandrasena while the money solicited by him in 2013 and 2014 were sent to Sri Lankan bank accounts in the same time period. It was those in the Rajapaksa family and their relatives who benefitted through this money. We wish to urge the Attorney General's Department and the public to exert pressure on this because around Rs. 150 billion had been spent on the Airbus deal to purchase the aircraft had not been pursued. This money was paid as cancellation fees. Don't we have to recover the money which we spent on this?"

Meanwhile UNP MP, Mujibur Rahman said:

"When Vasudeva Nanayakkara raised this matter during a cabinet meeting in 2013, Mahinda Rajapaksa who headed the cabinet at that time had said that cabinet approval was not needed for such matters. The Executive Committee had met to discuss this serious deal at the former Speaker's residence. Kapila Chandrasena who was serving as the Chief Executive Officer of SriLankan Airlines had also functioned as a Director at Sri Lanka Telecom. There is a circular in the Finance Ministry stating that an individual cannot hold two state positions at the same time. This is a deal that had taken place under the aegis of the government. Therefore, we request the President to appoint a Presidential Commission and probe the matter. Instead of blaming only Kapila Chandrasena and his wife, the politicians who had abetted this deal should also be brought before the law."

General Secretary of the  United National Freedom Front, Attorney-at-law Maithri Gunaratne PC also speaking of the same issue said:

"SriLankan Airlines had purchased 16 aircrafts under the previous government. When the aircrafts had been purchased, special cabins were procured for VIP's costing millions of dollars. We need to listen to what Johnston Fernando has to say. He does not have the right to comment on this matter, as he belonged to a government that attempted to waste public funds by importing separate cabins for VIP's while the loss-making airline had procured 16 aircrafts at that time."