January 23, Colombo (LNW): The National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) continued their investigation at the centre of the human immunoglobulin scam for the second consecutive day.
Acting under a court order, officials conducted a thorough search of the premises, seizing several computers and medicine samples for further examination.
The plant, owned by Isolez Biotech Pharma AG (Pvt) Ltd. in Amandoluwa, Seeduwa, was revisited as the primary suspect, Sudath Janaka Fernando, failed to cooperate during the initial inspection on January 8.
The second visit, conducted today, involved officials from various agencies, including engineers from the Lanka Electricity Company in Seeduwa, Scenes of Crime Officials (SOCO) in Seeduwa, Negombo Police, and Seeduwa Police.
The LECO Engineers facilitated the connection of the factory premises to the main electricity supply, resolving the non-cooperation encountered during the first visit when the chief suspect refused to reveal the principal switchboard.
During the recent operation, samples of an unidentified liquid medicine stored in bottles and vials were collected from refrigerators, suspected to be the same substances previously supplied as human immunoglobulin with fraudulent labeling.
Seven computers from the plant office of the main suspect were taken into custody by CID officials, with some hard disk drives already missing at that point.
The search operation, lasting approximately five hours, concluded with the NMRA officials sealing the plant, and the suspect was escorted back to the Welikada Remand Prison.
The case is scheduled to be presented before the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court today (23).
