High Court rejects Keheliya’s bail application

Former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella’s revision application seeking bail has been rejected once again by the Colombo High Court yesterday.

In his bail application filed on 15 March through his legal counsels, Rambukwella claimed that the Maligakanda Magistrate’s decision to reject bail for him is unlawful. He also sought the High Court to release him on bail subjected to any condition.

In March, Rambukwella’s bail application was rejected for the first time after the Attorney General had raised preliminary objections. Maligakanda Magistrate Lochani Abeywickrama overruled the accused’ bail pleas and detained them indefinitely under the provisions of the Public Property Act.

Later, the former Minister’s daughter Chaminthri Rambukwella had filed the revision petition at the Colombo High Court requesting that her father be released on bail conditions the Court deems fit.

Former Minister and six other suspects are in remand custody in connection with the substandard human intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) procurement. 

On 2 February, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested Rambukwella over his alleged involvement in the procurement of substandard IVIG vials. The arrest came hot on the heels of pressure from civil society activists and health sector trade unionists, who called for the immediate apprehension of the lawmaker.

In October 2023, the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) 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.

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