Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and former Minister Piyankara Jayaratne have been summoned by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) on May 12, 2026, to record statements in connection with the ongoing probe into the controversial Airbus procurement deal.

The summons is part of an investigation into allegations surrounding the 2013 purchase of six Airbus A330 aircraft and eight A350 aircraft for SriLankan Airlines, during which US$2 million is alleged to have been received as bribes.

The allegations have been levelled against former SriLankan Airlines Chief Executive Officer Kapila Chandrasena and his wife, Nayomi Wijenayake.

Chandrasena was arrested by the CIABOC on March 12 and remanded until May 5 under provisions of the Bribery Act and the Anti-Corruption Act, as investigations continue.

In a submission to the Colombo Magistrate’s Court on March 19, 2026, CIABOC stated that it had uncovered material indicating that funds allegedly obtained as bribes from the Airbus transaction were passed on by Chandrasena to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and former Aviation Minister Piyankara Jayaratne.

According to the CIABOC, Chandrasena has stated that following a request made by Rajapaksa in 2015, a total of Rs. 60 million was handed over in three instalments of Rs. 20 million each at the former

President’s residences in Beliatta and Carlton,Chandrasena maintains that any references to the aforementioned individuals were made in an affidavit under intimidation and do not represent his voluntary account, according to his lawyers. He has also alleged that he was not granted access to legal counsel while the statement was being recorded

Around 120 foreign nationals have been arrested in a major police raid carried out at a location on Meda Welikada Road, in Rajagiriya, over alleged involvement in cyber fraud and other illegal financial activities.

The suspects, taken into custody by the Welikada Police, include nationals from China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Madagascar, the Philippines, Thailand and Cambodia, among others.

The group is believed to have operated a coordinated cyber fraud network from several rented floors of an apartment building in the area.

A large stock of equipment, allegedly used in the suspected operations, including laptops and mobile phones, was seized during the raid and taken into police custody for further forensic examination.

Investigations have revealed that the operation was run as a sophisticated illegal financial network, targeting victims through online platforms.

Police further stated that several suspects managed to flee the scene during the initial raid, and follow-up operations were underway to apprehend them.

Welikada Police are continuing investigations to determine the full extent of the alleged network and identify any additional individuals linked to the operation.

by Norman Palihawadane

Sri Lankan scientists have revealed that households, restaurants, hospitals and farms across the country discard large quantities of food daily, despite growing concerns over food insecurity and rising living costs.

The findings were presented at a forum organised by the National Science Foundation’s Media and Event Management Division, under the purview of the Ministry of Science and Technology, at the NSF auditorium in Colombo last week.

Delivering a stark assessment of the crisis, Emeritus Professor K.K.D.S. Ranaweera observed that the modern world is now divided between “those who do not sleep because they are hungry and those who do not sleep because they are afraid of those who are hungry.”

Addressing academics, food science experts and media representatives, Prof. Ranaweera revealed that food wastage in Sri Lanka occurs across the entire supply chain even as many citizens continue to battle malnutrition and food insecurity.

Citing the United Nations Environment Programme Food Waste Index Report 2021, he said Sri Lankan households alone generate more than 1.6 million tonnes of food waste annually.

The destruction begins even before food reaches markets. According to data presented at the forum, wild animals including peacocks, monkeys, wild boars and elephants inflict annual agricultural losses estimated at between Rs. 17 billion and Rs. 20 billion, destroying nearly 31,000 metric tonnes of fruits and vegetables before harvest.

Massive losses continue after harvesting as well. Government statistics show that 19% of vegetables, amounting to 221,955 metric tonnes, and 21% of fruits, equivalent to 290,151 metric tonnes, are wasted every year owing to poor harvesting practices, rough transportation, delays, improper handling and the lack of adequate cold storage facilities.

Restaurants and social functions were identified as another major source of waste. Prof. Ranaweera disclosed that restaurants in the Colombo district alone discard nearly 110 tonnes of food daily. Lavish weddings and large-scale social gatherings, where food is routinely over-served, were described as a culturally entrenched contributor to the crisis.

Prof. Ranaweera said hospitals too have become significant generators of food waste. Forum participants revealed that a national hospital produces between one and four metric tonnes of food waste per day. In many instances, visitors bring several meal packets for patients, much of which ultimately ends up in garbage bins.

The household sector emerged as one of the most troubling contributors. According to figures presented at the forum, urban households waste food worth over Rs. 1,000 each week, while an average family discards around 34 kilos of food weekly.

Participants at the forum further cautioned that nearly half of the solid waste generated in the Western Province, much of it originating from the Colombo district, consists of food waste, placing severe pressure on already overburdened waste management systems.

The forum also featured presentations by Emeritus Professor Buddhi Marambe, Prof. Renuka Silva and Dr. Hiranya Jayawickrema.

NSF Chairman Dr Sudath Samaraweera and Director General Prof. Shiromi Perera were also present.

The scientists stressed that unless urgent measures are introduced to curb food wastage, strengthen storage and transportation systems and transform public attitudes towards food consumption, Sri Lanka could face a deepening food security crisis while mountains of edible food continue to be dumped daily.