Officials of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) have recorded a statement lasting nearly four hours from former Treasury Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera as part of an ongoing investigation into the controversial Airbus aircraft transaction.
According to CIABOC, a team of investigators visited Dr. Jayasundera’s residence in Nikaweratiya to record his statement regarding the procurement process and the decision-making surrounding the Airbus deal.
The statement is being recorded as investigators examine the circumstances surrounding the transaction, including the roles played by officials involved in the procurement and related decisions.
The Airbus transaction has previously been the subject of investigations and allegations concerning possible corruption and improper payments. The United Kingdom’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) had also investigated Airbus over allegations relating to aircraft sales, including transactions involving SriLankan Airlines.
The SFO investigation resulted in Airbus entering into a deferred prosecution agreement in 2020 after authorities found evidence of corruption involving aircraft sales in several countries. The agreement included allegations concerning SriLankan Airlines and an intermediary.
The latest statement from Dr. Jayasundera forms part of CIABOC’s continuing efforts to establish the facts surrounding the Sri Lankan side of the transaction and determine whether any offences under Sri Lanka’s anti-corruption laws were committed.
