Sri Lanka’s Namal Rajapaksa Gets Special Prison Arrangements Amid Graft Case

Namal Rajapaksa, the elder son of former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa and an opposition lawmaker, remains in Colombo Remand Prison under regular prison routines with special security arrangements following his arrest in an alleged Airbus corruption case.

Prisons spokesman Senaka Palletenna said security had been strengthened around the ward where Rajapaksa is being held. Authorities have also allowed him to receive home-cooked meals following a request made on his behalf. He is permitted a maximum of three visitors a day. His mother Shiranthi Rajapaksa visited him on Monday, while his father Mahinda Rajapaksa had visited him on Saturday.

Rajapaksa, 40, was arrested on September 4 by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) after more than five hours of questioning. Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S Bodaragama subsequently ordered him remanded until September 18. He is accused of receiving money linked to the purchase of Airbus aircraft for SriLankan Airlines during his father's presidency.

According to the prosecution, an alleged USD 800,000 payment was transferred through Singapore bank accounts and was ultimately handed to Rajapaksa in Sri Lankan rupees. The wider investigation concerns the procurement of Airbus aircraft by SriLankan Airlines, with investigators receiving information and assistance from Airbus officials and overseas authorities. Rajapaksa has denied wrongdoing, while his lawyers have challenged the allegations.

The arrest has also triggered a political dispute. The opposition Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) has alleged that the case is politically motivated and linked Rajapaksa's remand to its planned September 12 anti-government rally in Anuradhapura. The party says the action could weaken its campaign.

Meanwhile, the SLPP is seeking permission for Rajapaksa to attend Parliament. The House is scheduled to sit for four days from Tuesday, and opposition representatives have asked that prison authorities facilitate his attendance while he remains in custody.

His arrest marks the first remand of a member of the former Rajapaksa first family since the National People's Power government came to power. His cousin Shashindra Rajapaksa is currently out on bail after being remanded earlier this year. Other members of the Rajapaksa family have also faced allegations, which they have described as politically motivated.