{"id":5148,"date":"2026-10-01T12:46:35","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T07:16:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ceylondailynews.lk\/home\/?p=5148"},"modified":"2026-10-01T12:48:22","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T07:18:22","slug":"namal-rajapaksa-airbus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ceylondailynews.lk\/home\/2026\/10\/01\/namal-rajapaksa-airbus\/","title":{"rendered":"Namal Rajapaksa Arrested: Full Story of the Airbus Money Laundering Case"},"content":{"rendered":"<hr \/>\n<h2 dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Namal Rajapaksa won bail in the Airbus money laundering case but stays in remand. Get the full story, court orders and what comes next.<\/em><\/h2>\n<hr \/>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Bail was granted, but the doors did not open. Here is what the court decided, why he is still in custody, and what happens next.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Colombo&#8217;s courts gave <a href=\"https:\/\/ceylondailynews.lk\/home\/?s=Namal+Rajapaksa\">Namal Rajapaksa<\/a> two very different answers in two days. On September 29, a court refused to free him. On September 30, another court granted him bail. Yet he is still in remand custody. This article explains how that happened, step by step.<\/p>\n<h4 dir=\"ltr\">What happened in court on September 30<\/h4>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The Colombo Fort Magistrate&#8217;s Court granted bail to Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa. He is the National Organiser of the <a href=\"https:\/\/slpp.lk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP).<\/a> The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had arrested him over alleged money laundering linked to the Airbus deal.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Fort Magistrate Pasan Amarasena set these bail terms:<\/p>\n<ul dir=\"ltr\">\n<li><strong>Cash bail:<\/strong> Rs. 500,000<\/li>\n<li><strong>Two surety bails:<\/strong> reported at Rs. 100 million each (see the note on this figure below)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Surety paperwork:<\/strong> both sureties must hand over certificates from their local Grama Niladharis<\/li>\n<li><strong>Travel ban:<\/strong> Rajapaksa cannot leave the country, and the court told the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration<\/li>\n<li><strong>Witness warning:<\/strong> he must not interfere with or influence any witness<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The Magistrate also made one point very clear. If Rajapaksa tries to influence or intimidate a witness, the court will cancel his bail. The case returns to court on <strong>October 14<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<blockquote dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Editor&#8217;s note on the surety amount:<\/strong> Our sources do not agree. Most reports say two sureties of Rs. 100 million each. One earlier report said Rs. 30 million each, a total of Rs. 60 million. The spelling of the Magistrate&#8217;s name also differs between reports. Please check the court record or an official statement before you publish.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h4 dir=\"ltr\">Why Namal Rajapaksa is still in remand<\/h4>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Many readers ask the same question: if he got bail, why is he not home?<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The answer is simple. The bail order covers only the <strong>money laundering case<\/strong>. He is also a suspect in other proceedings, and each one carries its own remand order.<\/p>\n<ul dir=\"ltr\">\n<li><strong>Airbus bribery case:<\/strong> On September 29, the court remanded him until <strong>October 13<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Krrish deal case:<\/strong> He is remanded in this separate case until <strong>October 6<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Until a court grants bail in those cases too, or those remand periods end, he stays in custody. So the bail order is a legal step forward for him, but not yet freedom.<\/p>\n<h4 dir=\"ltr\">The day before: bail refused on September 29<\/h4>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Just one day earlier, things looked very different. Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama heard the Airbus bribery matter. He decided that the defence had not given enough grounds for bail, and he remanded Rajapaksa until October 13.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">That hearing also revealed something important. Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara appeared for the Attorney General. He told the court that investigators had <strong>finished their work<\/strong> on both the alleged Airbus bribery and the related money laundering claims. He said the files had already gone to the Attorney General, and that officials were now preparing to <strong>file a joint indictment<\/strong> covering both investigations.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Rajapaksa appeared in court that same day for a separate case as well. This one was filed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption and concerns the Krrish transaction. He is named a suspect in that case.<\/p>\n<h4 dir=\"ltr\">Timeline at a glance<\/h4>\n<div dir=\"ltr\">\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th scope=\"col\">Date<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\">What happened<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Earlier<\/td>\n<td>CID arrests Namal Rajapaksa over alleged money laundering linked to the Airbus deal<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>September 29<\/td>\n<td>Chief Magistrate rejects bail in the Airbus bribery case; remand extended to October 13<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>September 29<\/td>\n<td>Prosecutors say both investigations are complete and a joint indictment is coming<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>September 30<\/td>\n<td>Fort Magistrate grants bail in the money laundering case<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>October 6<\/td>\n<td>Remand date in the Krrish deal case<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>October 13<\/td>\n<td>Remand date in the Airbus bribery case<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>October 14<\/td>\n<td>Next hearing in the money laundering case<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<h4 dir=\"ltr\">What the Airbus case is about<\/h4>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The Airbus deal has drawn heavy public attention in Sri Lanka for years, and people often call it controversial. In this matter, investigators allege bribery connected to the deal and then money laundering connected to that. These are two parts of one story, and prosecutors now say they want to bring both in a single indictment.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Remember one key point. Rajapaksa is a <strong>suspect<\/strong>. He has not been convicted of anything. Courts decide guilt only after a full trial, and every one of these claims is still an allegation.<\/p>\n<h4 dir=\"ltr\">Analysis: what this could mean<\/h4>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><em>This section is our reading of the facts, not a court finding.<\/em><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>1. A joint indictment would make the case bigger and simpler at once.<\/strong> Combining the bribery and money laundering charges would put one story before one court. That could speed things up. It could also mean the Attorney General believes the two charges support each other.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>2. The bail terms show what the court worries about.<\/strong> A travel ban is common when a court fears a suspect might leave the country. The witness warning shows the court wants the evidence process to stay clean. The size of the sureties also tells us the court sees the case as serious.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>3. The two rulings are not a contradiction.<\/strong> Both courts looked at different cases and different charges. One refused bail in the bribery matter. The other allowed it in the money laundering matter. Judges weigh each case on its own facts.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>4. Politics will follow every step.<\/strong> Rajapaksa is a sitting MP and a senior SLPP figure. Each ruling will be read, shared and argued over, and his party and his critics will use it. Readers should look for what the court actually said and treat commentary as opinion.<\/p>\n<h4 dir=\"ltr\">What to watch next<\/h4>\n<ul dir=\"ltr\">\n<li><strong>October 6:<\/strong> the next date in the Krrish deal case<\/li>\n<li><strong>October 13:<\/strong> the end of his current remand in the Airbus bribery case<\/li>\n<li><strong>October 14:<\/strong> the money laundering case returns to court<\/li>\n<li><strong>The indictment:<\/strong> the Attorney General&#8217;s decision to file charges, and what exactly they say<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bail in other cases:<\/strong> a further bail request before any release becomes real<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 dir=\"ltr\">Frequently asked questions<\/h4>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Was Namal Rajapaksa granted bail?<\/strong><br \/>\nYes. The Colombo Fort Magistrate&#8217;s Court granted bail in the money laundering case on September 30.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Is he free now?<\/strong><br \/>\nNo. He remains in remand custody because other courts have remanded him in related cases.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>What are the bail conditions?<\/strong><br \/>\nCash bail of Rs. 500,000, two surety bails, a travel ban, and an order not to interfere with witnesses.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>What happens if he breaks the conditions?<\/strong><br \/>\nThe Magistrate warned that the court would cancel his bail.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>When is the next hearing?<\/strong><br \/>\nOctober 14 in the money laundering case. His remand dates in the other cases fall on October 6 and October 13.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Has he been found guilty?<\/strong><br \/>\nNo. He is a suspect, and the court has not decided his guilt.<\/p>\n<h4 dir=\"ltr\">The bottom line<\/h4>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Namal Rajapaksa won bail in the Airbus money laundering case, but he stays behind bars because of two other remand orders. Prosecutors say their investigations are done, and a joint indictment is on the way. The next two weeks, with hearings on October 6, 13 and 14, will show how this case moves forward.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\"><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Namal Rajapaksa won bail in the Airbus money laundering case but stays in remand. Get the full story, court orders and what comes next. Bail was granted, but the doors&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5149,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"no","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"twitter_205606689_205606689":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[{"account":"twitter_205606689_205606689","service":"twitter","timestamp":1790839009,"status":"error"}],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,16,13,531],"tags":[5905,5904,5906,5913,5911,948,5903,5902,5901,5916,5908,5910,5907,5915,5506,5909,5912,1159,5719,5914],"class_list":["post-5148","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local","category-local-home","category-main-story","category-politics","tag-airbus-bribery-scandal","tag-airbus-case-sri-lanka","tag-airbus-money-laundering-case","tag-colombo-fort-magistrates-court","tag-krrish-deal-case","tag-namal-rajapaksa","tag-namal-rajapaksa-airbus-case","tag-namal-rajapaksa-arrested","tag-namal-rajapaksa-bail","tag-namal-rajapaksa-cid-arrest","tag-namal-rajapaksa-court-today","tag-namal-rajapaksa-joint-indictment","tag-namal-rajapaksa-latest-news","tag-namal-rajapaksa-october-13","tag-namal-rajapaksa-remanded","tag-namal-rajapaksa-travel-ban","tag-slpp-national-organiser","tag-sri-lanka-breaking-news","tag-sri-lanka-corruption-case","tag-sri-lanka-politics-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ceylondailynews.lk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5148","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ceylondailynews.lk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ceylondailynews.lk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ceylondailynews.lk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ceylondailynews.lk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5148"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ceylondailynews.lk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5148\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5151,"href":"https:\/\/ceylondailynews.lk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5148\/revisions\/5151"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ceylondailynews.lk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5149"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ceylondailynews.lk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5148"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ceylondailynews.lk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5148"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ceylondailynews.lk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5148"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}