The Former Health Minister was arrested in early February 2024 and remanded over the alleged import of substandard human Immunoglobulin injections.

He was granted bail after seven months by the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court.

He is charged with alleged complicity in the procurement of substandard human intravenous immunoglobulin. (Newswire)

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Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) filed a Fundamental Rights Application (SCFR/ 99/2024) at the Supreme Court on Tuesday (Apr 16), highlighting the serious ramifications on the health sector and the general public from the recent controversial procurement of medical supplies including human immunoglobulin (Human-IG).

Issuing a statement, TISL said the Cabinet of Ministers, the incumbent and former higher officials in the health sector, former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, the companies involved in the controversial supplies of Human-IG, Treasury Secretary, Auditor General, Director General of Customs, Inspector General of Police, Members and Director General of CIABOC and the Attorney General are among the 66 Respondents named in the Petition. 

The FR application has been filed in the public interest, with the aim of seeking accountability for the misuse of public resources and the violation of fundamental rights of citizens.

The Petition requests the Court to declare that the purported decision of the Cabinet of Ministers and the health authorities to procure medical supplies from Isolez Biotech Pharma AG (Pvt) Ltd, Livealth BioPharma (Pvt) Ltd, Yaden International (Pvt) Ltd, Nandani Medical Laboratories (Pvt) Ltd, Divine Laboratories (Pvt) Ltd, Gulfic Biosciences Limited, Novachem Lanka (Pvt) Ltd and Slim Pharmaceuticals (Pvt) Ltd is wrongful, illegal, unlawful, null and void, and of no force or avail in law. 

Arguing that the actions or inactions of the Respondents amount to an infringement of the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution, the Petitioners seek the intervention of the Court to review the issuance of Waivers of Registration in procuring medical supplies and direct the Respondents to comply with the procedural safeguards imposed by law, regulations and rules to ensure transparency in procurement. 

“It is evident that the alleged ‘emergency’ which prevailed in the healthcare sector was largely owing to mismanagement, giving rise to concerns as to whether such gross mismanagement is indicative of the machinations of individuals holding office in inter alia the Ministry of Health, who orchestrated the said emergency for ulterior motives,” the Petition states. 

This Petition is filed in addition to TISL’s ongoing Petition (SCFR/65/2023), which was filed in February 2023, in view of the glaring malpractices and disregard for compliance with the law when importing pharmaceuticals under the Indian Credit Line. 

TISL, in its latest FR Application, requests the Court to direct the Auditor General to conduct a special inquiry into the decision to procure medical supplies from medical suppliers to whom Waivers of Registration had been issued and compute the cost incurred by procuring medical supplies through them. 

In addition, it requests the Court to direct the Attorney General (AG) to commence prosecution of persons identified to have obtained financial or other benefits through the procurement of medical supplies through the use of Waivers of Registration. It further requests the Court to direct the AG to recover the costs incurred to the State or the public and seek compensation from the relevant parties mentioned in the Petition. (Newswire)

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The suspects who were remanded after being implicated in the alleged importation of substandard Immunoglobulin vaccines, including former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, have been refused bail. 

The former minister and five other suspects, who are already in remand custody over the matter, were refused bail again today.

The Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court has denied bail till conclusion of the case on the importation of substandard Immunoglobulin vaccines.

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) had commenced an investigation into allegations that the pharmaceutical company had imported 22,500 vials of substandard Immunoglobulin vaccines by creating forged documents with the assistance of the two senior state officials. 

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

Based on the investigations, several Health Ministry officials, including former Minister Keheliya Rambukwella were arrested and remanded over the matter. (NewsWire)

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