(COLOMBO) -Sri Lanka’s Environment Minister Keheliya Rambukwella who is currently in remand custody, tendered his resignation on Tuesday and it was accepted by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, officials said.
The former Health Minister was remanded on February 3, in connection with the procurement of substandard human intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG).
Later that day he was admitted to the Prison Hospital on medical recommendations.
The arrest came hot on the heels of pressure from civil society activists and health sector trade unionists, who called for the immediate apprehension of the lawmaker.
Prior to the apprehension of Rambukwella, seven arrests had been made in connection with the drug procurement scam. But the fifth accused was later released on bail.
As such, the former Health Secretary, the Director of the Health Ministry’s Medical Supplies Division (MSD) and three other officials of the same division, as well as the owner of the company, which is said to have supplied the substandard batch of immunoglobulin vials, are currently in remand.
Investigations last year revealed that doctored documents were found to have been submitted for Customs clearance to procure a batch of 22,500 vials containing human immunoglobulin, an antibody produced by blood plasma cells, which later failed the quality tests.
The product, which was said to have been manufactured by Livealth Biopharma Pvt Ltd. India and imported by a local medicine supplier called Isolez Biotech Pharma AG (Pvt) Ltd. However, the India-based manufacturer has denied having a hand in this fraudulent activity and communicated to the NMRA that it has neither manufactured, supplied nor exported these products to any party.
After the human immunoglobulin scandal came to light, Rambukwella was stripped of health ministerial portfolio and was appointed as the Environment Minister in a Cabinet reshuffle in October.
