SriLankan Airlines under fresh probe for irregularities from 2010-2025
- Cabinet appoints Special Presidential Committee led by ex-Auditor General H.M. Gamini Wijesinghe to probe aircraft leasing, recruitment and transactions beyond previous inquiries
- Investigation also reviews Airport and Aviation Ltd.’s operations
- Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa says move aims to identify root causes of losses without prioritising privatisation
- Asserts CIABOC and CID probes continue separately on specific complaints
By Charumini de Silva
The Cabinet of Ministers on Tuesday approved the appointment of a Special Presidential Investigation Committee, chaired by former Auditor General H.M. Gamini Wijesinghe, to investigate alleged fraud, corruption, and irregularities at SriLankan Airlines and Airport and Aviation (Sri Lanka) Ltd., during the period from 2010 to 2025.
Addressing the weekly post-Cabinet meeting media briefing, Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said the new Committee is tasked to conduct a detailed and formal study of the financial operational activities of the national carrier, including areas such as aircraft leasing, recruitment practices, and other transactions that were not fully covered by previous investigations, including those conducted by the J.C. Weliamuna Committee under the previous administration.
He asserted that the purpose of this exercise is to explore all possibilities of recovering the national airline and ensuring its long-term sustainability without considering privatisation as the only option.
Although a contribution to the economic improvement of the country is rendered by SriLankan Airlines Ltd., a greater cost has to be borne by the Government to maintain it, while the annual loss to the company has been unbearable to the country’s economy.
“The investigation is expected to identify the root causes of the airline’s continuing losses, with a broader objective of transforming it into a viable, efficient, and advanced State-owned enterprise (SOE),” he said.
Additionally, the attention of the Government has been drawn to concerns raised by various parties regarding the requirement to investigate the activities of Airport and Aviation (Sri Lanka) Ltd., which is responsible for airport monitoring.
Dr. Jayatissa noted that ongoing investigations by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) are separate from this effort as they focus on specific complaints, while the Special Presidential Investigation Committee will take a broader and a more comprehensive approach.
The proposal to this effect, submitted by President Anura Kumara Disanayake in his capacity as the Finance, Planning, and Economic Development Minister, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
Copied: DailyFT – https://www.ft.lk/top-story/SriLankan-Airlines-under-fresh-probe-for-irregularities-from-2010-2025/26-778525
