According to the affidavit dated March 18, Chandrasena states that he was pressured during questioning and threatened by officials, including the Commission’s Director General, to include the names of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and MP Namal Rajapaksa in his statement.
Earlier, the Commission had informed the Colombo Magistrate’s Court that Chandrasena, in a statement to investigators, said a sum of Rs. 60 million received as a bribe linked to the 2016 Airbus transaction had been handed over to Mahinda Rajapaksa.
The Commission further told court that, according to the suspect’s statement, the Rs. 60 million had allegedly been paid in three instalments to the former President, while an additional Rs. 20 million was said to have been given to former Civil Aviation Minister Priyankara Jayaratne.
In his affidavit, Chandrasena claims his statement was not made voluntarily. He alleges that he was taken out of the recording room during questioning and threatened by officials, creating fear for his safety.
He further states that any references in his statement to Mahinda Rajapaksa and Namal Rajapaksa, including claims of influence or financial involvement in the SriLankan Airlines Airbus deal, were made under coercion and do not reflect his voluntary testimony.
