Arrested official to provide confidential statement today over immunoglobulin scandal 

Health Ministry Additional Secretary Dr. Saman Rathnayake 

Health Ministry Additional Secretary Dr. Saman Rathnayake, who was arrested and remanded over the import of the immunoglobulin scandal, is set to provide a confidential statement today regarding the case.

Dr. Rathnayake expressed his willingness to provide a confidential statement during a court session on Saturday, where the case over the procurement, supply, and distribution of the controversial medicine was taken up. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested Dr. Rathnayake on Friday evening after recording his statement for over seven hours.

Following his arrest, the Court issued an order remanding Dr. Rathnayake till 14 March, based on facts presented by Deputy Solicitor General Lakmini Girihagama, when he was produced before the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court on Saturday.

During the court proceedings, Dr. Rathnayake, through his lawyer, expressed his willingness to provide a confidential statement before the Magistrate. The Magistrate granted permission for the move and ordered the suspect to appear before the Court on 4 March to provide the confidential statement.

The Deputy Solicitor General requested the Court to name Dr. Rathnayake as the 10th suspect in the case, alleging misappropriation of Government funds. 

Investigations revealed that Dr. Rathnayake had a clear understanding of the emergency procurement process under the Indian Credit Line and had misappropriated Government funds to procure the controversial medicines, according to the Deputy Solicitor General.

She said the investigations uncovered that Dr. Rathnayake, along with the eighth suspect of the case, former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella orchestrated a fake medicine shortage through fabricated Cabinet papers to exploit an emergency procurement process. This act resulted in the misappropriation of a staggering Rs. 2 billion of State funds.

The Deputy Solicitor General emphasized that Dr. Rathnayake’s actions constituted an illegal act carried out with dishonest intentions, as they fabricated a non-existent emergency to funnel 285 medicines into the emergency procurement process.