• Magistrate notes medical condition  

Former Health Minister and incumbent Government Parliamentarian Keheliya Rambukwella and two other suspects, implicated in the alleged importation of substandard human intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) vials, have been released on bail by the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court. 

He has been ordered to be released on two personal bails of Rs. 500,000 each and a cash bond of Rs. 100,000. The Court ordered that one of the bail signatories for the personal bail must be a close relative of the defendant. Meanwhile, the Maligakanda Magistrate Lochani Abeywickrama has also imposed a foreign travel ban on Rambukwella, who has been ordered to hand over his passport.

Deputy Solicitor General Lakmini Girihagama, who appeared on behalf of the Attorney General, had requested the Court to arrange for the suspects to be sent to the Colombo National Hospital or the National Institute of Mental Health under judicial supervision to obtain mental treatment and cardiac treatment related to his illness if Rambukwella cannot be treated at the Prison Hospital. However, the Magistrate rejected the request and stated that Rambukwella would be granted bail in consideration of his medical condition.

The Criminal Investigations Department arrested Rambukwella on 2 February over his alleged complicity in the procurement of substandard IVIG vials while he was ordered to be remanded the following day. Rambukwella has remained in remand custody until yesterday (11).

In October of last year (2023), the National Medicines Regulatory Authority revealed that forged documents were found to have been submitted for Customs clearance to procure a batch of vials containing human immunoglobulin, an antibody produced by blood plasma cells, which later failed the quality tests.

Prior to the apprehension of Rambukwella, seven arrests had been made in connection with the alleged drug procurement scam. But, the fifth suspect was later released on bail. As such, a former Health Secretary, a former Additional Health Secretary, a Director of the Health Ministry’s Medical Supplies Division (MSD) and three other officials of the same Division, as well as the owner of the company which is said to have supplied the substandard batch of immunoglobulin vials, were arrested and remanded over the case. Meanwhile, one of the suspects in the case, the former Deputy Director of the MSD, Dr. Thusitha Sudarshana, was released on bail when the case was previously taken up on 6 May. Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal on 25 July ordered the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court to release on bail the former Director of the MSD, Dr. Kapila Wickramanayake, who was also in remand custody. Accordingly, presently, all but one of the arrested suspects are out on bail.