Keheliya, others to be indicted before High Court over substandard drug import

The Attorney General informed the Supreme Court yesterday (June 3) that indictments will be filed next week before a three-judge bench of the High Court against former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and several others, in connection with the alleged importation of substandard human immunoglobulin vaccines.

Deputy Solicitor General Nirmalan Wigneswaran, appearing on behalf of the Attorney General, made this announcement during the hearing of a Fundamental Rights petition filed against the procurement of drugs from two Indian companies that were not registered in Sri Lanka, under the Indian credit line scheme. The petition names former Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and several others as respondents.

The Fundamental Rights petitions were submitted by Transparency International Sri Lanka and Lionel Guruge, a Senior Research Officer at the Centre for Policy Alternatives.

The case was heard before a three-member Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Yasantha Kodagoda, Janak de Silva, and Mahinda Samayawardhena.

During the hearing, Deputy Solicitor General Wigneswaran stated that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has concluded its investigation into the procurement of substandard human immunoglobulin vaccines and has submitted its findings to the Attorney General’s Department. He further noted that the Auditor General had also conducted a separate investigation into the controversial procurement.

Based on these findings, the Attorney General has decided to file indictments next week before a three-judge bench of the High Court. The bench has already been appointed by the Chief Justice following a request by the Attorney General.

In addition, the Deputy Solicitor General informed the court that the CID and the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) are continuing investigations into other questionable purchases of drugs, medical equipment, and saline, which were also mentioned in the petition.

He requested the court to grant a six-month period to complete these ongoing investigations and to obtain the necessary files from the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation of Sri Lanka (SPC).