Seven suspects including the former Secretary to the Ministry of Health, Janaka Chandragupta, were further remanded over the controversial procurement of substandard human immunoglobulin vials.

Accordingly, the seven suspects were remanded until 17 January, on orders of the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court.

Chandragupta was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on 18 December, after he arrived to give a statement regarding the controversial substandard Human Immunoglobulin import issue.

On 14 December, Maligakanda Magistrate Lochani Abeywickrama declared that the court finds the actions of the former Secretary of the Ministry of Health with regard to the process of purchasing the batch of ‘substandard’ human intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), as suspicious.

Thus, the Magistrate also ordered that all responsible parties be arrested and produced before the court irrespective of their positions, for the administration of justice over the providing of substandard medicine to the public.

Several high-profile arrests have so far been made in connection with the case including the former Secretary of the Ministry of Health, the Director of the Health Ministry’s Medical Supplies Division and three other officials of the same division, as well as the owner of the relevant company which is said to have imported the batch of substandard Immunoglobulin vials by forging documents.