Former Chairman of SriLankan Airlines, Nishantha Wickramasinghe, who was arrested by the Bribery Commission over corruption charges, has been granted bail by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court.
Wickramasinghe, who is the brother of former First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa, was arrested as part of an ongoing investigation by the Bribery Commission.
Three corruption-related charges were filed against Wickramasinghe related to incidents that occurred during his tenure at the national carrier, SriLankan Airlines, in 2014, resulting in financial losses to the government.
The charges filed by the Bribery Commission are as follows;
- Flight Diversion Loss – On January 22, 2014, flight UL319, scheduled to operate from Kuala Lumpur to Katunayake, was diverted, reportedly causing a financial loss of USD 4,512 to the state.
- Passenger Diversion Loss – On January 26, 2014, 75 passengers travelling from the Maldives to France via Colombo were sent from flight UL563. The commission alleges this action led to a loss of USD 19,160.
- Misuse of State Funds – On December 19, 2014, Rs. 1.25 million of government funds were allegedly used for election campaign activities at the 18th Mile Post Grounds in Katunayake, in support of the former President. (Newswire)