Colombo High Court suspends assets worth Rs. 97 m belonging to Keheliya and family

Saturday, 6 July 2024 00:41 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Colombo High Court yesterday ordered the suspension of fixed deposits and insurance policies amounting to Rs. 97 million belonging to former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and five of his close relatives.

This order was issued by Colombo High Court Judge Manjula Thilakaratne, based on the facts presented by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).

The suspension, which will be in effect for three months, is linked to an ongoing investigation into allegations of corruption against Rambukwella.

The Court has ordered that the assets remain suspended till 4 October and has instructed CIABOC to report on the progress of the investigation on that date.

The CIABOC’s request to suspend Rambukwella’s assets is part of a broader effort to investigate and address allegations of corruption and misuse of public resources by Government officials.

Rambukwella is currently in remand custody in connection with the alleged procurement of substandard human intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) vials.

The investigation into his activities began following a civilian complaint alleging that he had misused two vehicles provided to him during his tenure as Health Minister, which had not been returned after his resignation.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested Rambukwella on 2 February over his alleged involvement in the procurement of the substandard IVIG vials.

This arrest came after significant pressure from civil society activists and health sector trade unionists.

In October 2023, the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) revealed that forged documents had been submitted for Customs clearance to procure a batch of vials containing human immunoglobulin, which later failed quality tests.

This revelation further intensified the scrutiny on Rambukwella’s activities during his time as Health Minister.