Two Deputy Solicitors General, who were representing two of the accused including former Minister Keheliya Rambukwella in the case filed before the Colombo Permanent Trial-at-Bar, informed the court yesterday that they would no longer be able to appear for their clients.
Those who withdrew from the case are Deputy Solicitor General Sarath Jayamanne and Deputy Solicitor General Nalin Laduwahetty. They had been appearing for the 2nd and 12th accused. They informed open court that since the trial has been scheduled to be heard on a day-to-day basis, it would be difficult for them to continue due to their involvement in several other cases; therefore, they would be withdrawing from representation.
When the case was called yesterday (8th) before the Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar comprising Judges Priyantha Liyanage, Viraj Malaka Weerasekara, and P.M. Bandara, Director (Policy) of the National Procurement Commission, Prabath Indika Prasanna, gave answers to the cross-examination posed by the defence. After the conclusion of his testimony, a representative from Sri Lanka Customs is scheduled to testify today (9th) on behalf of the prosecution.
Apart from former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, the other accused in the case are:
- Sudath Janaka Fernando, owner of Ayusmate Biotech Pharma, the supplier involved;
- Dr. Kapila Wickramanayake, former Director of the Medical Supplies Division (MSD);
- Dr. Shanti Soloman, former Deputy Director of the MSD;
- Neraan Dhananjaya, former Accountant (Supplies);
- Sujith Kumar, former Stores Controller;
- Janaka Sri Chandragupta, former Secretary to the Ministry of Health;
- Dr. H.M. Dharmasiri Ratnakumara Herath, Deputy Director-General of the MSD;
- Dr. Jayanath Buttpitiya, a member of the Emergency Procurement Committee;
- Dr. Saman Rathnayake, former Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Health;
- Dr. A. Thusitha Sudarshana, a former Director of the Medical Supplies Division.
The accused have been charged under Section 5(1) of the Public Property Act No. 12 of 1982. They face 13 indictments, including conspiracy to commit criminal misuse of public property by supplying a non-medicinal liquid to the Medical Supplies Division falsely claiming it was a medicinal drug, the execution of the offence by the first accused, and aiding and abetting the second accused by the remaining suspects.
They are further accused of supplying 619,195 vials of substances that were not medicines—labelled as Human Immunoglobulin and Rituximab—to the Medical Supplies Division, thereby causing a financial loss of Rs. 144.4 million to the Government of Sri Lanka.
Deputy Solicitor General Lakmini Girihagama appeared on behalf of the Attorney General and led the prosecution.
