(COLOMBO)
A Sri Lankan court on Thursday slammed an overseas travel ban of the country’s former Health Minister f Keheliya Rambukwella following growing calls for his arrest over an alleged questionable purchase of a drug consignment endorsement by him.
The court also ordered that Rambukwella appear before the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Friday, February 2.
Rambukwella’s overseas travel restrictions come in light of his failure to comply with a prior summons from the CID, scheduled for Wednesday, January 31.
On that day, Rambukwella was notably absent, attributing his absence to his involvement in a hearing at the Colombo High Court regarding an ongoing case and his attendance at a committee meeting convened at the Presidential Secretariat.
In response to the CID’s summons, Rambukwella has formally requested, in writing, for the CID to designate an alternative date for him to provide his statement.
The latest development comes after nearly half a senior State dozen health officials are in remand jail for their alleged involvement in the scam.
