In response to Keheliya Rambukwella, the former minister of health, petitioning to have his remand order invalidated, the Court of Appeal has delayed making a decision. The decision, which was anticipated to be made today, will instead be made on October 3, 2024.
The order of the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court to hold Rambukwella in custody until the end of his trial regarding the suspected import of substandard medicine is challenged in the petition.
Rambukwella’s appeal is pending in the Appeals Court, which is presided over by Justice Shashi Mahendran and President of the Court of Appeal Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne.
On February 2, 2024, Rambukwella was taken into custody by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on suspicion of obtaining IVIG vials that were not up to standards. Trade unions in the health sector and members of civil society put increasing pressure on the former minister to be arrested right away.
The National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) revealed in October 2023 that a shipment of vials containing human immunoglobulin had been cleared for shipping using falsified documentation. This revelation sparked the uproar. Later, when these vials failed quality checks, there was more investigation, which resulted in Rambukwella’s imprisonment.