Six including ex-Health Secretary further remanded, one accused granted bail

The fifth suspect in the ongoing case concerning the controversial procurement of substandard human immunoglobulin vials has been released on bail on orders of the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court.

As per the relevant court order, the suspect, identified as the Medical Supplies Division’s storekeeper, was released on two personal bails of Rs. 01 million each.

Meanwhile, the six other suspects, including the former Secretary to the Ministry of Health, Janaka Chandragupta, were further remanded until 15 February.

Chandragupta was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on 18 December 2022, when he arrived at the premises to record a statement regarding the substandard human immunoglobulin scandal, which had taken place during his tenure as Health Secretary.

On 14 December 2022, Maligakanda Magistrate Lochani Abeywickrama had deemed as suspicious the actions of the former Secretary of the Ministry of Health pertaining to the process of purchasing the batch of ‘substandard’ human intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG).

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 were made in connection with the case, including that of 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.