Colombo – Former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella has breached the collective trust of the Cabinet by submitting a cabinet paper to the Cabinet, falsely claiming a shortage of medicines, it was informed before the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court Today (29).
This was when the case related to the purchase of substandard antibody vaccines was heard at the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court.
The Criminal Investigation Department had also taken statements from former Cabinet Ministers in relation to this incident.
Accordingly, when the case was called, Deputy Solicitor General Lakmini Girihagama, appearing for the Attorney General, informed the court that statements had been recorded from former ministers Nimal Siripala de Silva, Douglas Devananda, Bandula Gunawardena, Wijayadasa Rajapaksa, Harin Fernando, Ramesh Pathirana, Prasanna Ranatunga, Vidura Wickramanayake, Kanchana Wijesekera, Nasir Ahmed, Roshan Ranasinghe, Nalin Fernando, and Jagath Pushpakumara.
The relevant cabinet paper was approved because it stated in the cabinet paper that the country’s health system could collapse within a week if permission to purchase emergency medicines was not granted, Deputy Solicitor General Lakmini Girihagama told the court.
A particular point raised there was the statement made by former Justice Minister Wijayadasa Rajapaksa.
He had said that when preparing a cabinet paper, it is the responsibility of the Ministry Secretary to submit documents that can confirm the facts contained therein and that only if the Minister is satisfied with the relevant cabinet paper, it should be submitted to the Cabinet.
In such a context, Ms. Girihagama said that former Minister Keheliya Rambukwella had submitted the relevant cabinet paper without mentioning the medicines required, creating a false shortage of medicines.
Meanwhile, former Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva had stated that the procurement of the relevant medicines was carried out outside the prescribed procurement process or that substandard medicines were being purchased, the Deputy Solicitor General told the court that if he had known that it was being done outside the prescribed procurement process or that substandard medicines were being purchased, he would not have given permission at all.
Therefore, based on these facts, she stated that it is clear that former Minister Keheliya Rambukwella has violated the collective trust of the Cabinet by presenting a cabinet paper pretending to be a fake shortage of medicines.
She also stated that statements will be taken from former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, former Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, Susil Premajayantha Tiran, and Alles Mahinda Amaraweera in the future.
The first suspect in this case, Sudath Janaka Fernando, who is in remand custody, and former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, who has been released on bail, along with the other 10 suspects, also appeared before the court.
After considering the facts presented, Maligakanda Magistrate Lochani Abeywickrama ordered the supplier of the questionable drugs, who is currently in remand custody, to be further remanded until December 13th and ordered the case to be called again on February 21st.
Shashinka Vidusara