Transparency International urges probe into Airbus A350 deal

Colombo (News1st): Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) has alerted the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into Allegations of Large Scale Fraud & Malpractice at SriLankan Airlines, to alleged corruption surrounding the controversial procurement of Airbus A350 aircraft by the national carrier. The German publication Der Spiegel has on repeated occasions flagged the allegations of bribery and corruption in the procurement of Airbus aircraft. In a letter to the commission in August this year, TISL has highlighted that the aircraft manufacturer Airbus and its subsidiaries are under investigation in several jurisdictions for allegedly paying bribes in order to win billions of dollars of contracts. TISL believes these investigations are of particular interest to the Sri Lankan people given the fallout following the cancellation of SriLankan Airlines’ planned purchase of Airbus A350 aircraft which led to the state having to pay in excess of Rs. 15 Billion as cancellation costs.