COLOMBO, May 12 -- Former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa appeared before the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) on Tuesday (12) and recorded a statement in connection with the controversial SriLankan Airlines Airbus procurement deal.

Rajapaksa left the Bribery Commission premises shortly after completing the statement, which lasted over two hours, officials said.

The former president had been summoned by CIABOC as part of ongoing investigations into allegations surrounding the 2013 purchase of Airbus aircraft for the national carrier, a deal that has long been under scrutiny over claims of corruption and kickbacks.

According to reports, investigators are probing allegations linked to a repor...