Sri Lanka ex-president's son arrested on graft charges

Sri Lanka’s former president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s son, Namal Rajapaksa, was arrested and remanded until September 18 on graft charges tied to SriLankan Airlines’ 2013 purchase of Airbus aircraft, a top court said on Friday. The lawmaker, who represents the opposition Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, was taken after more than five hours of questioning by the country’s anti-corruption body, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption. The remand order came from Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama. Rajapaksa has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, and his lawyers were not immediately available. The investigation is connected to a multi-million-dollar case.