By A.J.A. Abeynayake
Five prominent political figures, including former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, have yet to appear before the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to provide statements regarding the distribution of substandard medicine to government hospitals, despite a court directive. This was disclosed at the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court on Friday (29).
Representatives from the Attorney General’s Department said Maligakanda Magistrate Lochani Abeywickrama had instructed the CID to record statements from 18 former Cabinet Ministers concerning the case.
Deputy Solicitor General Lakmini Girihagama, appearing on behalf of the Attorney General, informed the court that former President Wickremesinghe, former Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, and former Ministers Tiran Alles, Susil Premajayantha, and Mahinda Amaraweera had not complied with the directive.
The CID submitted the statements obtained from 15 other former Ministers to the court. The magistrate reiterated the need to record statements from the remaining Ministers.
All 12 defendants in the case, including former Health Minister Rambukwella, were present in court. The first suspect, Sugath Janaka Fernando, also known as ‘Aruna Deepthi’, the owner of the company accused of using forged documents to import substandard intravenous immunoglobulin, was produced by prison officials.
A request for bail on behalf of Fernando was denied by the Magistrate, who ordered that he be remanded until 13 December.The remaining 11 suspects were granted bail and instructed to reappear in court on 21 February 2025.
