Keheliya refuses to attend Parliament session

February 7, 2024 at 9:28 AM

The Speaker of the Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena has granted permission for imprisoned Parliamentarian Keheliya Rambukwella to attend the Parliament session today. 

According to the Prison Spokesman, MP Rambukwella was granted permission to attend the 5th term of the Ninth Parliament of Sri Lanka, which will be conducted under the patronage of President Ranil Wickremesinghe. 

He said, however, MP Rambukwella has declined to participate in the Parliament session.

Minister Keheliya Rambukwella is currently in remand custody over the illegal importation of substandard stocks of Immune Globulin vaccines under his tenure as the Minister of Health.

In November last year, the Criminal Investigations Department commenced an investigation into allegations that a pharmaceutical company had imported 22,500 vials of substandard Immune Globulin vaccines by creating forged documents with the assistance of two senior state officials from the Health Ministry.

Investigations at the time revealed that financial fraud of Rs. 130 million had occurred via the imports of the said substandard medicine.

Several high-ranking Health Ministry officials, including the former Health Ministry Secretary, were apprehended and remanded thereafter, over the illegal importation. (NewsWire)