The owner of the company accused of importing substandard immunoglobulin vials has been apprehended by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID). This comes as part of a broader investigation into the alleged importation of substandard medicines, with serious implications for high-ranking government officials in Sri Lanka.
On a recent Monday, the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court took action by imposing overseas travel bans on three individuals involved in the case. The bans were ordered after the CID presented a motion, expressing concerns that the suspects were planning to leave the country. Those affected by the travel bans include the company’s owner, known as ‘Aruna Deepthi’ but officially registered as Sugath Janaka Fernando, as well as Dr. Vijith Gunasekara, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA), and Dr. Kapila Wickramanayake, the Director of the Supplies Division within the Ministry of Health.
The case revolves around allegations of utilizing forged documents to import a batch of human intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) from India, which was in violation of established procedures. The NMRA suspended the usage of this imported IVIG after it failed quality tests. The product, purportedly manufactured by Livealth Biopharma Pvt Ltd. in India, was imported by a local medicine supplier named Isolez Biotech Pharma AG (Pvt) Ltd. The illicit importation of 22,500 vials of IVIG has reportedly resulted in a misappropriation of funds amounting to Rs. 130 million.
The suspicions came to light following reports of allergic reactions observed in patients who had received the drug at the Colombo National Hospital and the Matale District Hospital on August 22 and September 16, respectively. Meanwhile, a sub-committee appointed by the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) has instructed the University of Moratuwa to conduct a comprehensive study of the Ministry of Health’s information management system and submit a report, adding another layer of scrutiny to the ongoing investigation.
