Colombo HC issues summons on Keheliya over substandard drug imports case

Tuesday, 8 July 2025 04:04 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Former Health Minister

Keheliya Rambukwella

The Colombo High Court Special Trial-at-Bar has issued summons on former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and 11 others to appear before Court on 11 July.

Summons have been issued in relation to a case filed over the alleged import of substandard Human Immunoglobulin vials.

Accordingly, summons have been issued in order to serve the indictments filed against the accused.

Indictments have been filed under 13 separate charges against the accused.

The case is scheduled to be heard before a Trial-at-Bar comprising High Court Judges Mahen Weeraman, Amali Ranaweera, and Pradeep Abeyratne.

In 2022, amidst the country’s economic crisis, a number of high-ranking health officials were allegedly involved in the purchase of medicine stocks by changing existing procurement procedures and creating a false shortage of drugs in the country.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) launched an investigation based on two complaints received regarding this matter.

Subsequently, a case was filed naming 12 individuals as suspects. These include the owner of the company that supplied the substandard drugs, Sudath Janaka Fernando, former Health Minister Rambukwella, former Health Ministry Secretary Janaka Chandragupta, and a group of other high-ranking officials in the health sector.

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