Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe appeared before the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) yesterday (11) to provide a statement in relation to a complaint made by former Minister of Health Keheliya Rambukwella over the alleged importation of substandard human immunoglobulin vaccines.
The former president was summoned to clarify the process by which Cabinet approval was granted for the procurement.
Upon arrival, Wickremesinghe is said to have queried CID officers on the grounds for his summons.
He was informed that they summoned him to clarify the process by which Cabinet approval was granted for the procurement.
Wickremesinghe then had firmly maintained that Cabinet proceedings are protected under law and cannot be subjected to questioning, even by the judiciary.
He is reported to have told CID officials that the confidentiality of Cabinet discussions is a fundamental principle of governance, and that revealing details, including which ministers supported or opposed a particular proposal, would be unlawful without the collective consent of all Cabinet members.
Quoting from a legal text on Cabinet protocol, Wickremesinghe had indicated that if necessary, he would return with the publication to brief the Attorney General on the legal framework that shields Cabinet deliberations.
He spent only a brief period at the CID before departing.
Later that night, Wickremesinghe left the country for an official visit to Russia, according to sources.
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