US Sanctions Target Corruption: Former SriLankan Airlines CEO in the Spotlight

The United States State Department has announced a series of sanctions targeting individuals from multiple countries, including the former CEO of SriLankan Airlines, Kapila Chandrasena, over alleged bribery in Airbus purchases.

The sanctions, announced on International Anti-Corruption Day and the eve of Human Rights Day, also target North Macedonia's former deputy prime minister, Artan Grubi, and judge Enver Bexheti, as well as Kevin Kedi from the Marshall Islands, for allegedly accepting bribes.

The State Department has also designated Fawaz Akhras, a UK resident and father of the British-born wife of deposed Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, for providing material support to the regime.

Chandrasena and his immediate family members were sanctioned for allegedly accepting a bribe in exchange for ensuring Sri Lanka purchased Airbus aircraft for above market value. Sri Lanka's former ambassador to Russia, Udayanga Weeratunga, was also designated for benefiting from a corrupt scheme involving the procurement of MiG aircraft for the Sri Lankan Air Force.

In 2020, Sri Lanka ordered a probe into allegations of bribery by Airbus over the sale of aircraft to state-run carrier SriLankan Airlines, following Airbus' settlement of a corruption probe with regulators.

The State Department also announced sanctions on nine individuals and 19 entities involved in a global gold and diamond corruption network based in Zimbabwe, and designated Abdul Qader al-Murtadha, head of the Houthi National Committee for Prisoners' Affairs, for involvement in torture.