Accountability must not be limited to bribery and corruption

The arrest of SLPP National Organiser and Member of Parliament Namal Rajapaksa on corruption charges related to the Airbus purchase scandal of 2013 has drawn public attention. He was arrested on September 4 and held until September 18 over an alleged US$800,000 payment connected to the procurement of Airbus aircraft by SriLankan Airlines.

Opposition parties, including the SLPP, have condemned the arrest as politically motivated, citing the SLPP's public rally on September 12 as a reason. The government, with a 2/3 majority in Parliament and a President enjoying a 75% approval rating, faces a daunting task in regaining public trust. The arrest highlights the need for accountability in corruption, regardless of the political status of those investigated.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake believes that if all alleged corruption were fully investigated, hardly anyone responsible would remain untouched. The NPP government's determination to push the accountability process forward is greater than previous administrations. Namal Rajapaksa has been arrested before in connection with the Airbus deal, and the penalties paid exceeded US$100 million following the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government's investigation.

The Airbus case is significant not just due to the size of the alleged bribe, but because it involved the commitment of public resources to a loss-making enterprise for personal gain. This raises the broader issue of accountability beyond financial crimes, such as the case of missing persons due to political violence in the past decades.

Amnesty International estimates that at least 60,000 and possibly up to 100,000 people have been subjected to enforced disappearance since the 1980s, a figure that should shock the country's conscience as much as missing funds. The government must shift its focus from prosecuting individuals to reforming institutions and processes to prevent future abuse of public power.