Sri Lanka’s anti-corruption authorities have arrested lawmaker Namal Rajapaksa, the son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, as part of an investigation into alleged kickbacks linked to a $2.3-billion Airbus aircraft deal signed in 2013. The arrest took place on Friday after Namal was summoned for questioning by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).

The 40-year-old politician is a prominent member of the Rajapaksa family, which once held significant political power in Sri Lanka. A CIABOC official said the lawmaker “was summoned for questioning over the Airbus transaction". The official added, “The MP was arrested afterwards and will be taken before a magistrate,". It was not immediately clear what specific charges Namal Rajapaksa faces.

His lawyer, Nishantha Dayananda, confirmed the arrest. The case relates to a controversial $2.3 billion aircraft purchase agreement involving SriLankan Airlines. The deal was eventually cancelled in 2016 after a new government came to power.

The anti-graft investigation concerns allegations that European aircraft manufacturer Airbus channelled part of the money to senior Sri Lankan officials and politicians as bribes. Authorities are examining whether people working with the government at the time received illegal payments during the aircraft purchase process.

The investigation has also involved former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. CIABOC questioned him in May over allegations that he received kickbacks from the aircraft deal. The Rajapaksa family has rejected the allegations. It has denied receiving bribes and described the corruption claims as politically motivated.

Investigators have also questioned former SriLankan Airlines chief executive Kapila Chandrasena. In March, Chandrasena told authorities that he had given nearly half a million dollars in kickbacks to Rajapaksa. He was later found dead at a relative’s home in May, shortly before authorities were expected to rearrest him. The cause of his death has not yet been established.

Chandrasena initially told investigators that he had paid 60 million Sri Lankan rupees to Rajapaksa in three instalments in 2013. The amount was worth around $461,000 at the time. He later withdrew the statement and claimed that investigators had pressured him into making the allegation.

The Airbus deal has been under scrutiny internationally for several years. A joint investigation by authorities in the United States, Britain and France previously found that Airbus had agreed to pay around $16 million in bribes in Sri Lanka. Investigators found that about $1.7 million was routed to Chandrasena before the wider scandal came to light.

The alleged payments were made in connection with the planned purchase of 10 Airbus aircraft by SriLankan Airlines. The deal required approval from the Sri Lankan Cabinet during Mahinda Rajapaksa’s presidency, which lasted from 2005 to 2015.

The latest arrest adds another major development to the long-running corruption investigation involving the former ruling family and Sri Lanka’s national carrier. Namal Rajapaksa, who remains a lawmaker, will now be taken before a magistrate as authorities continue their investigation into the alleged payments.

SriLankan Airlines has faced severe financial problems over the years. The national carrier has accumulated losses estimated at nearly $2 billion. Several efforts to privatise the debt-laden airline have also failed.

The investigation comes as Sri Lankan authorities continue efforts to examine alleged corruption linked to major state transactions. The Airbus deal remains one of the most significant cases under scrutiny, with investigators looking into alleged payments to politicians and officials involved in the purchase process.