… suspect in touch with Health Ministry since 2013
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Environment Minister Keheliya Rambukwella yesterday (22) said that in spite of the then Chief Executive Officer and Director General of National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) declaring that the proprietor of Isolez Biotech Pharma AG Sugath Janaka Fernando alias Aruna Deepthi had failed to meet stringent requirements needed to supply Immunoglobulin vials, the procurement process proceeded, leading to the Health Ministry accepting fake products.
Rambukwella, who is under a cloud over the procurement of fake Immunoglobulin vials, told a hastily arranged briefing at the Government Information Department that Dr. Vijith Gunasekera had made the declaration, in his capacity as CEO and DG, at a regular meeting chaired by him (Rambukwella) to discuss issues relating to the suitability of the tenderer and other procurement issues.
Minister Rambukwella said that he had brought the issue to the notice of the Attorney General after lodging a complaint with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on 02 Oct, exactly three weeks before President Ranil Wickremesinghe replaced him with Dr. Ramesh Pathirana as the Health Minister.
Rambukwella received the environment portfolio, previously held by Ahamed Nazeer of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), whose expulsion over switching allegiance to the SLPP at the final vote on the 2022 Budget was upheld by the Supreme Court.
Responding to queries, Minister Rambukwella insisted that he had made no intervention after NMRA challenged the supplier’s suitability. The Island sought an explanation from him as to how he denied any knowledge of the manipulation of the entire process to procure fake Immunoglobulin vials against the backdrop of the then Ministry Secretary Janaka Sri Chandragupta being arrested and remanded in this connection.
Minister Rambukwella pointed out that Dr. Gunasekera was on record as having said that the local supplier used a fake waiver of registration (WoR) containing the forged signature and stamp of NMRA’s CEO. The removed CEO said so in the wake of the Health Sector Emergency Procurement Committee (HSEPC) declaring that it acted on the basis of the registration provided by the supplier.
The arrested Health Secretary Chandragupta, who is also the Chief Accounting Officer of the Health Ministry, functioned as the head of HSEPC. Chandragupta has been remanded till Dec 27 pending investigations. At the time of his arrest, Chandragupta, a Special Grade Officer in the Sri Lanka Administrative Service, was on retirement. Chandragupta received the appointment as Health Secretary on May 24, 2022, close on the heels of Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa’s resignation.
The CID arrested the 57-year-old proprietor of Isolez Biotech Pharma on Oct 31 for supplying fake Immunoglobulin vials. Minister Rambukwella disclosed that the conman had been in touch with the Health Ministry since 2013 and after he took over he was also approached. The Minister said that he didn’t interfere with NMRA’s process though he forwarded the supplier’s ‘offer’ to the regulatory body.
India has denied supplying the fake Immunoglobulin vials as well as ‘Rituximab’ used to treat certain autoimmune diseases and some types of cancer to Isolez Biotech Pharma AG, thereby contradicting efforts to deceive the public the two medicines were procured under USD 235 mn Indian credit line. The Gujarat-based Indian company that has been named as the manufacturer denounced the Sri Lankan company accusing it of forgery.
The CID arrested Director, Medical Supplies Division, Dr. Kapila Wickremenayake, Assistant Director Devashantha Soloman, Accountant (Supplies) Neran Dhananjaya and the Stock Controller of the Medical Supplies Division, Sujith Kumara, in connection with the high profile scam, on Nov 20, the day Chandragupta retired, having reached the mandatory retirement age of 60 years.
Deputy Solicitor General Lakmini Girihagama appearing with Senior State Counsel Heshani Wijesinghe making submissions earlier on the progress of the CID investigations has told the Maligakanda Magistrate Court that prior to the Cabinet decision, taken in October 2022, tenders had been called in September 2022 and the 1st suspect Aruna Deepthi had been selected as the successful tenderer for Human Immunoglobulin and Rituximab.
She said according to Ministry Chief Accountant Savidra Cooray the 1st suspect’s company Isolez Biotech Pharma had requested for payments for Rituximab supplied and the Secretary Health Chandragupta had approved the payment of Rs 107,799,481/= in three payments to the 1st suspect, directing it to be paid on a priority basis.
