Maligakanda Magistrate has ordered former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella to appear before the Criminal Investigation Department on Friday (Feb.02) following his failure to record a statement with the CID on Wednesday (Jan.31).

Further, Rambukwella’s overseas travels were also temporarily barred on the orders of the magistrate.

The former health minister was supposed to make an appearance before the CID on Wednesday, but he failed to do so on account of attending the proceedings of a case heard before the Colombo High Court as well as a ministerial sub-committee meeting convened at the Presidential Secretariat.

It is understood that Rambukwella has sought the CID, in writing, to fix another date for him to provide his statement.

Meanwhile, a group of civil society activists engaged in a ‘Satyagraha’ campaign in front of the CID premises on Wednesday demanding the immediate arrest of Rambukwella.

Ten activists who were taken into police custody during the ‘Satyagraha’ campaign were granted bail today on the orders of the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court.

Against this backdrop, the Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Health Dr. Saman Ratnakaye was grilled by the CID officers for nearly 10 hours on Wednesday over the procurement of substandard medicines.