Image: Former Minister Keheliya R (on the right) of Rajapaksa’s governments and family members are accused of many wrongdoings.
The Attorney General has filed 13 indictments against 12 defendants, including former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, before a three-judge bench of the Colombo High Court, in connection with the fraudulent purchase of substandard antibody vaccines.
The charges stem from the supply of 6,195 vials of human immunoglobulin—a critical antibody treatment—allegedly contaminated and falsely procured, along with the unapproved substance Rituximab, to the Medical Supplies Division of the Ministry of Health.
The indictments include charges of criminal misappropriation and conspiracy to defraud the state of Rs. 1.444 billion in public funds.
Recognizing the public importance of the case, the Chief Justice appointed a special three-judge panel comprising Justices Mahesh Weeraman, Pradeep Abeyratne, and Amali Ranaweera to preside over the hearings.
According to prosecutors, laboratory testing revealed that the so-called human immunoglobulin contained toxic bacteria, raising grave concerns about the safety of medical supplies distributed under state authority.
The Attorney General’s Department has named nearly 350 witnesses and submitted close to 300 exhibits in support of the case.
Among the key witnesses are former President Ranil Wickremesinghe and several former Cabinet Ministers, including Nimal Siripala de Silva, Wijayadasa Rajapaksa, Douglas Devananda, and Roshan Ranasinghe. The witness list also includes prominent medical professionals such as Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama, Chairman of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority.
The case is expected to be one of the most high-profile public health fraud trials in recent Sri Lankan history.
(with the inputs from Sinhala language news reports)