By The Pulseline News Desk
Former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella has reportedly told the Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar that it was then Finance Minister and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, and not himself, who had submitted the Cabinet paper connected to the controversial emergency procurement of medicines.
Rambukwella has made the claim while delivering a lengthy statement from the dock during the trial over the procurement of substandard Human Immunoglobulin injections.
The trial before the Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar, where the Attorney General has indicted Rambukwella and 11 others, concluded on Wednesday (4) following the completion of the oral statements of the accused.
During his statement, the former minister has sought to distance himself from responsibility for the Cabinet submission linked to the emergency procurement process, identifying Wickremesinghe as the minister who had presented the relevant paper.
The case concerns allegations that public funds were fraudulently obtained through the supply of substandard and counterfeit medicines to the Medical Supplies Division of the Ministry of Health.
The Attorney General has filed 13 indictments against 12 accused, alleging that they had conspired to fraudulently misappropriate Rs.144.4 million in State funds by supplying 6,195 vials containing substances that were not Human Immunoglobulin and Rituximab.
The accused also face charges of criminal misappropriation of the funds.
Rambukwella is the eighth accused in the case, which has become one of the most prominent corruption prosecutions linked to Sri Lanka’s health sector.
With the oral testimony of the accused now concluded, the court has scheduled written submissions for November 25, followed by oral submissions on November 30.
A date for the delivery of the verdict is expected to be fixed after the submissions are concluded.
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